Get Sparked (Change The Cycle)
All it takes is a spark. During a seemingly casual conversation with a new friend (and out of thin air) I got sparked. It was one of those igniting moments when someone suggests something to you that you’ve never thought long and hard about… ever. In the middle of this conversation I just couldn’t believe it never occurred to me. Frankly, I was embarrassed and I felt ashamed that I had been so mindless. So I followed the spark…
So, what was it? What set this spark in motion? Tampons. Yep, tampons. Well, not just tampons. Tampons AND Homelessness.
The gravity of those two words put together- Tampons and Homelessness sparked a fire inside me and made me ask a question… How had I completely neglected the very real crisis that homeless women every single month face when they get their periods?
I felt so foolish for having ever moaned or groaned about buying more tampons or borrowing from a stranger because… What about homeless women who aren’t whispering to each other about borrowing tampons because they don’t have access to them?
According to consciousperiod.com :
“26.4 Million women in the US can’t afford period products. Government assistance programs, like food stamps, also don’t cover period products, making them the highest demand personal care item among female-focused service providers and shelters.”
Yes, that’s right… homeless women get their periods too, folks!
But, unlike most of us… they do not have additional means to maintain the healthy level of hygiene required of all women of menstruating age, once a month. This is a real life issue that needs awareness, NOW!
FREE THE TAMPONS is a national movement spearheaded by Nancy Kramer “on a mission to inspire change and drive demand for freely accessible tampons and pads in restrooms outside the home”. I highly recommend her ted talk: FREE THE TAMPON TED TALK
A NOTEWORTHY CONSIDERATION from WaterAid.org:
“1.25 billion women don’t have access to toilets during their period. Menstruation is a natural process, but women’s health is often put at risk because of myths, restrictions and ignorance. We want to change this.”
Let’s STOP “GOING WITH THE FLOW” because…
What about The Fierce Fifty Percent Feminine? THE FIERCE MOTHERS and BUSINESSWOMEN, DAUGHTERS, FRIENDS, CAREGIVERS, LOVERS, HISTORY MAKERS, DREAMERS, POLITICIANS, TEACHERS, VOLUNTEERS, HOMEMAKERS and WIVES…
Wherever you are, you came from a woman… and Whoever you are, you owe it to a woman… Be she a homemaker or homeless!
It is time we all start truly campaigning on behalf of all women, championing the powers to be by defending our place here and promoting legislative reform with the intent to create widespread Equality for women in the home, in the workforce AND IN THE BATHROOM! Because The fierce fifty percent feminine is worthy of consideration. Period.
The idea that if men had their periods things would be a lot different is not a new argument. While rampant inequality and free access to tampons is no laughing matter, I am amused by comical illustrations of this alternate reality:
We know that in this patriarchal society that we live in, if men had their periods… there would be no debate on free access to tampons. It would be a right.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” –Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
Woah, Woah, Woah… hold up…
Didn’t they mean all people are created equal? I guess we can assume the founding fathers said what they meant and meant what they said… and by fate, have found generations and generations of faithful followers to uphold neglecting the rights of the fierce fifty percent feminine!
But, But, But… what about these great women warriors who have given birth to this nation? What about The fierce fifty percent feminine who continue to bear fruit and witness to the atrocity of discrimination that has been our feminine birthright?
We must consider truly answering the call of the divine feminine that has been shut out for too damn long. WE MUST START ROARING! It’s time to wake up to the inequality we face. It’s time to stop purring like wounded kitties and get on our feet, take action, demand equality and ROAR! WHY? Because it is insane and we are insane to tolerate it. We are doing the same thing expecting different results and clearly nothing is changing. WELL, MY OVARIES ARE OVER IT!! I do not wish this kind of neglect on my future daughter or the daughters of generations to come.
The time has come for The fierce fifty percent feminine to stand up for each other in acknowledging responsibility for sitting on the sidelines while others dictate our game, the players and the rules. We have forgotten how to use the power of the feminine. We have been persuaded. We have been compromised as a tribe and we must hold ourselves accountable for false conditioning and positively reprogram ourselves (regardless of gender). Because, until we shed light on the truths that bind and declare that fifty percent of us have been mistreated, for many moon cycles, the cycle will remain the same.
Until both women and men can unite to defend and honor “ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED EQUAL” by promoting action that reforms our ass backwards ways, the cycle will remain the same. The Revolution is in our minds and, that is exactly where it shall forever stay until we give it a voice, wings and free access to tampons. Yes, I said it… Why are we still whispering about Tampons ( THE ONLY WAY TO ASK FOR A TAMPON) especially when The fierce fifty percent feminine are taxed up the ass on them? We ought to be gaining momentum and supporting initiatives to regain our rights!
Assembly Bill 479 “THE TAMPON TAX”
California Assembly member Christina Garcia, of District 58, reminds us…
“Every month, for 40 years of our lives, we are still being taxed for being born women. Every month of our adult life we are taxed for our biology. Every month we are told our periods are a luxury, while also being told they are something to be ashamed and we must hide,” Garcia said in a statement. “It’s not enough to make these products more affordable, we have to make them free to the women and girls who struggle to get access to these products.”
Support No Tax on Tampons! Period and Sign The Petition!
Read more about Garcia’s legislative effort to end the tax on feminine hygiene products in California: TAMPON TAX GETS NEW LIFE IN CALIFORNIA
So… Who the hell is defining Luxury vs. Necessity here?
Surely not The fierce fifty percent feminine because... No woman anywhere in the history of the world woke up one morning and said:
“Ah, yes… today I think I’ll treat myself to a soothing… Tampon.”
Nope. It never happened. Because…
SANITARY PRODUCTS ARE NOT LUXURIES,THEY ARE NECESSITIES (!)
“Common sense is that liquor is a choice and a luxury and human biology is not,” said Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, Chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus. “There is no happy hour for menstruation. Our tax code needs to reflect the fact that it’s not OK to tax women for being born women.”
Case in point… Watch a group of women willingly go without feminine products for a day:
WOMEN GO WITHOUT PERIOD PRODUCTS FOR A DAY
GET SPARKED!
Turn a Spark into a Wildfire by finding ways to educate yourself, stay informed and start conversations to help educate others! Start using social media as a positive platform to ignite more sparks and stay conscious of this real life issue. Let us get sparked to heighten our sensitivity to the real problems faced by our fellow travelers. Let us get sparked to be enlightened not ignorant. Let us get sparked not to excuse the ignorance of others… especially at the expense of The fierce fifty percent feminine! Promote legislative reform and join a growing movement to change the discriminatory cycle:
Just because I write this or you read this does not relieve homeless women from the challenges of getting their period and being homeless. Moreover, it does not alleviate the tax burden that all women face when purchasing feminine products. However, if it gets both of us starting to think about these real problems that need our major attention and how we can be of service then it has served an importance purpose. Follow the spark of ignorance into enlightenment… We can only make a difference if (and only if ) we pursue things in life that really matter, like taking care of each other. This is one of those issues. How we proceed from here with new knowledge is on us… whether we donate funds to a worthy cause, bring feminine supplies to a homeless shelter or simply share this information with others… it is our duty to do something! May the flow be with you…
Take a hint & join worthy movements to start spreading awareness:
GIVING HOMELESS WOMEN A DIGNIFIED PERIOD
Hippy Dippie 