We Don’t Bleed The Same
White Supremacy in the Menstrual Health Space
When you hear about someone’s “first period,” what story comes to mind? You might imagine a thirteen-year-old girl in a plush home or well-funded school, whose best friend or family member quickly arrives to offer a comforting hug and answer any questions she might have. The girl gladly accepts a box of fresh disposable pads, plus a few tampons to try. Pausing in the bathroom, she whips out her smartphone and Googles a few questions on managing her first period before continuing her day.
While true for a few, this story is incredibly limiting and narrow, often rendering nonbinary, people of color, and/or low-economic status individuals invisible.
What about menstruators who don’t identify as female? What about those who practice different social norms and diverse cultural practices? What about those who cannot access or afford menstrual products?
As we examine the menstrual health space, particularly in this time of a global pandemic and civil rights reckoning, we can find the deep roots of white supremacy and the destructive expectation that all menstruators experience their periods as a middle- or upper-class white person. Far too often, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)’s experiences are discounted because it does not match history or mainstream narrative, often written from a white lens. The menstrual health space is no exception.
The disregard of BIPOC’s menstrual experience erases the history of exploitation and trauma. Menstrual health has made technological and scientific advancements at the expense of Black women; the “Father of Gynecology” known as J. Marion Sims experimented on enslaved Black women without anesthesia. When we uncover the lack of representation and respect of BIPOCs in the menstrual health space, the ties to White Supremacy are undeniable.
The hope to unpack, embrace, and amplify diverse stories surrounding menstrual healthcare is what first drew our Period Futures team to Chelsea VonChaz. She’s the founder of #HappyPeriod — an LA-based nonprofit promoting self-efficacy surrounding menstrual health across the US and bridging access to safe menstrual products for all.
#HappyPeriod focuses on reaching community members who are homeless, low-income, and/or living in poverty, as well as veterans, those who are differently-abled and disabled, and those who identify as LGBTQ+. Inclusivity and intersectionality is at the core of #HappyPeriod — Chelsea has dedicated vast time and energy to seeing menstruation in diverse, vibrant lenses.
Here’s a glimpse into what our Period Futures team heard from Chelsea about facilitating inclusivity and accessibility in menstrual healthcare:
Steps to Create an Inclusive Menstrual Space
Inspired by our interview with Chelsea VonChaz
1. Reflect on your experiences, biases, and assumptions
“Most of my work is inner work. Self work.”
Chelsea’s internal work—evaluating her personal experiences in menstrual health and reflecting on her ancestry and diaspora—helped to bring her peace and inspire the brave founding of #HappyPeriod.
Questions you might consider:
What assumptions might you have about menstrual health, based on your own personal upbringing and background? Reflect on your own experience with your period. How did the world and society influence your period? What key challenges do you or others in your community face in menstrual health? Why do these barriers exist in the first place, and what systems perpetuate them? From visits to the OBGYN to costly tampons — what would make this experience better for you?
2. Find new perspectives and actively listen
“We need to start listening and passing the mic to them [those with Black and Brown bodies] and letting them share their story. Letting them let us know how we can better serve them or if they want to be served.”
Following inner-reflection is observation and listening. For Chelsea, this means always being a student and stepping back whenever she is faced with a different narrative, especially when she travels.
How to change your mindset:
Similarly to during the human-centered design process, take time to empathize with and learn from others whose backgrounds, cultures, and stories differ from your own. Actively seek out new perspectives and stories. Don’t forget to express thanks and gratitude to anyone who might be willing and open to sharing their experiences with you.
3. Support diverse, local leaders
“We can’t give people the fish. We have to teach them how to fish.”
White savior complex — when a privileged white person inserts themselves into a community that is not theirs while enforcing their own beliefs and mindsets under the guise of “saving those who are less fortunate” — is commonly found in the menstrual health space. Chelsea acknowledges the complexities of white savior complex, while recognizing that this type of “help” rarely puts those in the community in a position of power. Many of these instances perpetuate dependence and are not sustainable.
Ask yourself:
Instead of traveling abroad to work with a new community, what work can be done in your own backyard? And if you must travel, how are you meaningfully empowering that community with sustainable actions and materials? Once you leave, will members be able to easily integrate your teachings in their everyday lives? Does your work align with their communities’ beliefs and mindsets?
Check out other US based Black-led organizations in the period equity space such as @flocodexo, @coderedco, @sendingheressentials, @hatethedot, @shetalksmovement, @oam_global, and @no_moresecrets469.
Shaping an inclusive future world for periods
Recognizing that not everyone bleeds the same is a critical first step and springboard to pave the way for greater change in the future.
Looking ahead, how can we tell more stories that amplify diverse voices and experiences in menstrual health? How can we normalize and standardize conversations across company workplaces about employee menstrual healthcare, and hold companies accountable for meeting their menstruating employees’ needs? How can we empower young designers, creatives, and engineers to help design a more inclusive future world for periods, centering on the unmet needs of underserved communities in their own backyards? How can we help dismantle anti-black systems in our own local menstrual health ecosystems?
Thank you, #HappyPeriod, for helping to inspire our team and so many others in enabling a more inclusive future world for anyone and everyone who bleeds. Onwards!
—
Written by Isabelle Tan, Marketing and Communications Associate at Period Futures.
Who are you inspired by in the menstrual health sector? Nominate a Period Futurist at www.periodfutures.org.
