Social Inclusion
Twelve Moons is rooted in creating a caring environment for all of us. Among us are girls, women, and individuals who are neurodiverse, or who are living with physical, cognitive, developmental, and sensory disabilities, mental health or chronic health conditions, and who must have particular kinds of support and functionality in order to thrive with dignity and have their needs met.
Additionally, Twelve Moons embraces gender-diverse individuals who have unique or nontraditional menstruation experiences. This includes all people whose gender identity is female, as well as transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive people who must have their own safe space to record their body rhythms, changes, feelings, seasonal reflections. Gender-diverse individuals have unique healthcare, mental health, and social transition needs, and require tools as well as supportive communities and networks that foster their self-esteem and hold them dear.
Please see the Resources tab for more information.
Period Poverty
It is estimated that half a billion girls and women globally have no access to feminine care products or support, often resulting in their being excluded from basic education or work opportunities. These consequences starve their extraordinary potential and ultimately have devastating systemic socioeconomic effects on their families and communities. Period poverty is found not only in developing countries, but also among low-income women and girls in industrialized nations, and predominantly affects women of color, and low-income and immigrant communities.
It is happening right under our noses, even in the most wealthy countries. Single mothers, partnered mothers, adolescent girls, unhoused women and girls, college students, women holding down multiple jobs and supporting multigenerational households. Women in most segments of society who are struggling to get ahead financially are affected, and do not have the support and resources they need. Additionally, older women have their own requirements for feminine care and hygiene products, and aging women living in poverty or on fixed incomes often cannot afford these items for their dignity. Women and girls are half of the world’s population, and yet not all of us have what we need.
There are hundreds of extraordinary large-scale, small-scale and grassroots efforts globally — organizations, advocacy groups, legislative bills, and policy changes, primarily led by women and adolescent girls — for menstrual equity and to make feminine care products accessible so that we do not have to choose between purchasing food or other essentials and feminine care products. Women and girls cannot continue to bear this weight. We must have our fundamental provisions so that we can focus on the business of living our lives, learning, strengthening our communities, supporting our families, and living up to our unique potential in this world. Our precious girls and fellow women must have their human dignity.
Women and Girls in a Global Context
In addition to period poverty, women and girls face particular challenges. We all know that not all systems are created equally. Globally, nearly three-quarters of a billion people are living in extreme poverty, and over 100 million are displaced from their homes or countries, living without access to essentials like food, water, healthcare, sanitation, and education. In unstable societies affected by conflict, war, disaster, and where large populations have been forced to uproot from their homes, there is a tremendous need for protection and the rule of law.
Women and girls are at particular risk of sexual and gender-based violence and exploitation, and must have specific sexual and reproductive health services, protection, and empowerment. Adolescent girls face obstacles in many countries because they are female and young, but adolescent girls are very often the agents of change that overturn gender norms. The Women’s Refugee Commission reports:
adolescent girls’ transition from childhood to adulthood is shaped by rigid expectations that have negative implications for their access to health services, schooling, and other life-shaping opportunities. In conflict and displacement settings, the institutions, systems, and community cohesion that normally support girls’ development, protect them from violence, and uphold their human rights are weakened or destroyed….Yet, adolescent girls in humanitarian settings should not just be seen as a vulnerable group; girls possess enormous capacity for becoming a source of transformation in their families and communities.
Women are commonly at the heart of family stability, generating income, caring for children and older generations, advocating for education and empowerment, and commanding local leadership to address the needs of their communities. Older women are pivotal members of society, caring for children so that younger generations can earn income, providing the wisdom of their experience, and often mediating conflict and providing community-wide solutions. Women and girls should not be seen as victims. Their voices and self-articulated needs should be amplified and heard.
Responding to Challenges
During times of crisis and instability, the first responders are local and in-country: local leaders and authorities, community-based, regional, and national organizations, volunteers, and civilians, many of whom are women. They have deep knowledge of their own communities’ needs and aspirations, including which groups are particularly vulnerable, and should have a meaningful role in the development of programs and services.
A major shift in thinking in the humanitarian and international development communities over the last decades has refocused advocacy efforts so that they are empowering and supporting communities to speak for themselves and their needs, rather than creating a top-down, Western-focused approach that tells developing and crisis-affected countries what their needs are. Local leadership is often supplemented globally by thousands of organizations teeming with humanitarian and international development staff and volunteers working to meet the challenges of these unbelievably courageous human beings. Systems are not perfect, but efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, provide life-saving health care and other critical services, establish child protection systems, and provide education and safe places for children to play are happening at every moment. Helping to support work opportunities and education for women and youth helps them to contribute to the economic stability of households, reduce their reliance upon aid, and restore dignity during and following such trying circumstances.
Hope and Progress
It feels endlessly impossible to meet the many categories of global demand. But what is certain is that in spite of these unfathomable circumstances, families, generations, and communities rally around one another, and small, local, and in-country organizations and groups fight for their communities and advocate for their collective needs. Evaluations of NGO, United Nations (UN), national and local community-based programs show that in spite of the need for improvements and collaboration, there is a great deal of effectiveness, there are a lot of wins, and a lot of lives are changed. International development and humanitarian entities are working together in coalitions to bridge gaps and meet the sexual and reproductive health necessities of women and girls. And millions of people worldwide donate their money and time to these worthy causes, and many governments have commitments to support meaningful improvements for systemic change. There is enormous hope, action, and good out there. We can all support it.
Providing Access to Twelve Moons
Twelve Moons is rooted in my heartfelt wishes for the health and nurturing of all girls, women, and families. Having lived much of my adult life with a humanitarian lens, it is deeply important to me that Twelve Moons is accessible for all of us, not simply those of us who have the ability to buy the book. I am working with colleagues in the nonprofit, NGO, and UN spaces to find ways to provide Twelve Moons to women and girls in countries around the world, as well as low-income communities in wealthy countries. Additionally, plans are already underway to have the book translated into a number of languages so that it is more accessible and can have a global reach.
To support some of the efforts mentioned above, a portion of the proceeds of Twelve Moons will go to these tremendous organizations: the Women’s Refugee Commission, and the United Nations Population Fund for dignity kits in humanitarian crises.