Various menstrual products
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27.06.2025 Christin Müller 2316

pme donates: Periodensystem e.V.

Maxi Bethge-Lewandowski has a vision: to end period poverty in Germany and promote education around the topic of menstruation. As the founder of the voluntary association Periodensystem e.V., she is committed to giving the topic of menstruation the attention it deserves. In this interview, Maxi gives us an insight into her inspiring work and the challenges involved. 

"The topic of menstruation and period poverty needs more social awareness and attention."

Who is behind the periodic table?

Maxi : We are an association founded and run by volunteers. Each and every one of us pursues the mission of creating more equality and providing low-threshold help and education on period poverty and menstruation. 

Our members have been collecting donations since 2016 to provide those in need with period and hygiene products. We also work with artists, gynecologists, schools and companies to raise awareness. The topic of menstruation and period poverty needs more social awareness and attention.

What does your daily work look like?

Maxi: We distribute period and hygiene items to emergency shelters, schools, organizations and mother and child homes, among others. We are also in close contact with homeless shelters and social institutions. This means we always know what is needed when and can guarantee that the donations arrive where they are needed. We supply emergency shelters such as those run by GEBEWO, Berliner Stadtmission, SKF and DRK directly with menstrual and hygiene products via our crowdfunding page on betterplace.org

Through our online community on Instagram and Facebook, we educate people about period poverty and the topics of menstruation, equality and more in general. 

In regular online live sessions, meet-ups and interviews, our team and community members provide information on topics such as intersexuality, pregnancy, homelessness and sexuality. We also offer workshops for companies, schools and events to raise awareness of the topic among as many social groups as possible.

We make the topic visible on Instagram and cooperate with companies to get it out of the taboo zone.


Access to menstrual products is not a matter of course.

How did you come up with the idea of campaigning for period education?

Maxi : I have always thought about what actually happens to menstruating women when they are in need. People think about food, clothes and sleeping bags first, but not about periods. 

Then I heard about projects in the UK and the USA and created a crowdfunding page on Betterplace.org. I got GEBEWO on board as a partner to buy products for their emergency shelter and that's how Periodensystem came about.

What do you think a fair world looks like when it comes to dealing with menstruation - and what do you think still needs to change to get there?

Maxi: We have five demands: more education through better education policy in schools and drop-in centers, more public toilets as a shelter for menstruating women, better social policy regarding rent policy and wage levels, better health policy with education and research into diseases, and free items in public buildings - like in Scotland.

What challenges do you face most often in your day-to-day work - be it in terms of organization, financing or dealing with social taboos?

Maxi: In the social sector, our work is widely respected and recognized. We are particularly well received in communities that are committed to equality and social justice. But as soon as we move into the corporate sector, we often encounter challenges. Here, the issue is often seen as a "nice to have" - a side issue that doesn't always get the attention it deserves. 

Especially in the current political and economic situation, there is a risk that topics such as menstruation and sex education will once again disappear from the focus of public perception.
At the same time, we are seeing an increasing demand for sustainable period products, which is pleasing, but also places a heavy burden on our financial and logistical capacities.

How do people react when they hear about your work for the first time?

Maxi: We often hear: "That's right, I haven't even thought about that yet."


According to Plan International menstruating people spend an average of between 550 and 650 euros on period products per year. Many cannot afford this.

Are there any stories or encounters that have particularly touched you?

Maxi: There are many touching stories, but the words of thanks from people we have been able to help directly are particularly motivating.

You have received a donation of 10,000 euros from pme. What projects have you already been able to implement or would you like to implement with it?

Maxi: The generous donation of 10,000 euros helps us enormously to drive our work forward and distribute sustainable period products exactly where they are most urgently needed. With these funds, we can not only cover acute needs, but also implement projects aimed at long-term education and awareness-raising.

When people want to support you: What helps you most at the moment - apart from financial donations?

Maxi: Please invite us to your companies so that we can talk about this important topic there. Such conversations help to raise awareness of sustainable menstrual products and remove taboos from the topic in professional environments.

You can also support us by sharing our Instagram profile. If you have school-age children, we would be delighted if you could promote the topic in your children's schools. "Ella's World" is a fantastic guide to providing age-appropriate and informal education about menstruation for 9-14 year olds.

Social commitment of the pme Familienservice

The "pme donates" fundraising campaign has been running for four years, giving pme team members the opportunity to nominate charitable organizations in the areas of international development aid, social work, climate and animal protection and culture for a donation, which they actively support. All team members then vote for the organizations they want to support. The organizations with the most votes receive a donation from pme Familienservice. In 2024, six national and international organizations received a total of 50,000 euros in donations.

zero Burnout among employees: What managers need to know

Man on a tightrope in the mountain
13.10.2021 Sabrina Ludwig 30676

Burnout among employees: What managers need to know!

When a team colleague returns to work after a burnout, colleagues and managers almost always ask themselves with some concern: How should we deal with him or her? Will he or she be back at work? Carola Kleinschmidt is a trainer and expert on burnout and knows how managers can manage this balancing act.

Psychologist and Managing Director of Oberbergkliniken. For many years, she established concepts for mental health in the workplace in companies. Kentgens gives many educational talks and workshops in companies of all sizes, and wherever she goes, she always encounters the same uncertainty: "How do I as a colleague or boss deal with the person coming back from illness?

This is a question that concerns a lot of people," explains Kentgens. "The questioners in another department have often seen someone come back to the office but only stay at work for a few hours and then go home again. And they asked themselves: Is he allowed to do that because he was ill? Will that always be the case now?".

Reintegration after burnout: in stages from four to eight weeks

"There is usually a misunderstanding here," explains psychologist Kentgens. Bosses and colleagues often don't know that those returning to work are doing a phased reintegration . During this time, they are still officially on sick leave and the health insurance companies pay the wage costs.

As a rule, a gradual reintegration takes four to eight weeks. This period gives returnees the opportunity to gradually acclimatize to everyday working life and their activities again - without too much pressure. "During this time, special arrangements apply that are underpinned by medical or therapeutic advice. There is an agreed step-by-step plan, which is ideally agreed between the returnee, the person receiving treatment, the manager, the HR department, the works council and the company doctor," explains Kentgens. This means that it is quite possible that only a few hours of work per day have been agreed initially or that other special regulations apply to the employee during this time. Ideally, the employee's resilience will increase continuously.

How to deal with a colleague?

Of course, colleagues who don't know this quickly see someone from the outside who is only able to cope with little stress. And it is not uncommon for this initial image of the returnee to become established. A vicious circle can begin: You don't trust the employee to do much - and thus deprive them of the chance to fully reintegrate into day-to-day business.

"We therefore advise managers to communicate the employee's current status within the company to the team. Temporary special arrangements that have been negotiated with the person concerned, such as no business trips or reduced customer contact, should also be communicated so that the team is aware."

Such agreements can still apply between managers and employees even after gradual reintegration. Even then, it is best to communicate this to everyone. This transparency makes it much easier to reintegrate the returnee into the team and prevents rumors, false consideration and gossip.

After the burnout: no false consideration

Once reintegration is complete, which is usually the case after four to eight weeks, the employee is healthy again and can be fully deployed in the company.

"After reintegration and when any special arrangements have expired, the employee is considered fully resilient again," explains Kentgens. From the psychologist's point of view, this is the right thing to do, as there is a risk, especially after a mental health crisis, that the person will remain in a certain protective posture - or be pushed into the corner of "he's no longer resilient" by those around him out of false consideration."

Such developments are counterproductive for health and, above all, for recovery," explains Kentgens. The aim of reintegration is therefore for the employee to be able to return to their old job with the usual stresses and strains. Ideally, after successful treatment, the employee's attitude, resilience and resistance to stress will have improved - including the ability to say "no" from time to time.

"The biggest concern of those affected is that they will be looked at the wrong way when they return to the company."

If the employee notices before returning to work or during the reintegration process that they no longer want to carry out certain activities that were previously part of their duties, then it is not up to the manager or team to automatically take them off their hands. Rather, it is up to the employee to change their tasks and workload, explains Kentgens. This means that they can negotiate their tasks with their manager and also at HR department level in order to make the work suitable for them.

Talks as part of the reintegration process can also be the place for such adjustments. For example, some burnout sufferers want to reduce their working hours or look after fewer customers than before, and in some cases also want to move to other positions with less responsibility. "This clear appeal to the personal responsibility and clarity of those formerly affected may sound rigid," says Kentgens. But she knows from the everyday experience of therapists who work with burnout sufferers: "The biggest concern of those affected is that they will be looked at the wrong way for months after returning to the company, that they are no longer trusted to do anything and that this is precisely why they will not be able to perform again". Clarity in the reintegration process counteracts this discrimination and is therefore beneficial - for everyone involved.

 

About Carola Kleinschmidt:

Carola Kleinschmidt is a graduate biologist, journalist and certified trainer (additional training in communication psychology, Schulz-von-Thun Institute/University of Hamburg).

She has been working on the topic of "health and the world of work" for 15 years. Stern magazine described her non-fiction book "Bevor der Job krank macht" (Before the job makes you ill) as "one of the best books on the subject of burnout". It has sold over 25,000 copies. Follow-up books: "Das hält keiner bis zur Rente durch" (2014), "Burnout - und dann?" (2016). Carola Kleinschmidt gives lectures and workshops in organizations and companies on the topic of "Good Work & Mental Health". www.carolakleinschmidt.de

 

 

 

Literature tip: "Burnout - and then?" (2016)

Every year, millions of people get back to life after a burnout. They all ask themselves: How will my life go on? Should I expect relapses? What and how much do I need to change in my life?

Carola Kleinschmidt has accompanied many sufferers over the years. She describes what life is like after the crisis, what difficulties arise in the new everyday life and what characterizes the people who leave the spiral of exhaustion behind them for good. Short interviews with experts place the individual experiences in a broader picture and explain which strategies are most suitable. The result is a comprehensive picture of how to find your way back to a positive attitude to life after a burnout and ensure that it stays that way.

 

Maxi Bethge-Lewandowski

Maxi Bethge-Lewandowski

Founder of Periodensystem e.V.

Born in Thuringia, she is not only the founder of Periodensystem e.V., but also Chief of Staff at Market Logic Software. As an ambassador in the women's network "Panda", she pursues the goal of empowering women in leadership positions. She lives in Potsdam.

Contact:

post@perioden-system.de