Menstruation Matters - “An Expensive Habit” unveiling

The Women's Bookshop and artist Zoe James are hosting an event to discuss the current issue of financially inaccessible menstruation products.

The art piece “An Expensive Habit” painted solely in the artist's own menstrual blood will be unveiled at the event, Tuesday night at The Women’s Bookshop.

Speakers include:
Michele A’Court, a feminist comedian
Vanessa Cole from Auckland Action Against Poverty
Brooke Wilton, a writer for the Salient
Hannah Wood and Mackenzie Koppel from the Auckland City Mission
Denise Roche of the Green Party
Zoe James the artist of “An Expensive Habit”

There is a cultural taboo around the public discussion of menstruation. Not only is it shunned as a topic of debate, it is openly avoided, making any serious engagement with periods, experienced by half the population, almost impossible.

Zoë James, the evening’s event co-ordinator says ‘Menstrual products are used as a necessity, not out of choice, everybody should have easy and affordable access to them’.

On Tuesday the 7th of June, a 10 year-old girl was sent home because her school didn’t have adequate facilities to dispose of sanitary products, her family was forced to donate a disposal unit to allow her to return to school.

Zoë James is outraged by the suggestion of the school’s principal that the girl could go on the contraceptive pill.

Last month, two young women from Whangaparaoa College gathered a 30,000 strong petition calling for the removal of the GST on menstruation products. This shows strong public desire to see government step in and make changes to the current situation many people find themselves in.

As Michele A’Court has said “If men bled out their penises once a month, there would be free tampon dispensaries in every boardroom”.

Zoë James says ‘the attitudes the majority of government and institutions are really out of touch when it comes to periods. Condoms and oral contraceptives are subsidised, yet essential menstrual products remain highly priced, financially inaccessible to some, and an unnecessarily high cost for others’.

This event is intended to raise awareness of the struggles facing many females on a day-to-day basis and to demand that access to these basic items is provided to all those who need it. All that come the the event are welcome to bring sealed packets of menstruation products which will be distributed to those in need.

We hope that companies will step up and donate to this event, schools and community organisations so that menstrual products can be fairly distributed until the government changes their policy and ensures reuseable and disposable tampons and pads are easily accessible for all.

Menstruation is neither a luxury nor a choice, period.
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