Photo Courtesy of Joseph Allen Pictured at the West Orange library for the ‘The Justice Agenda: Achieving Menstrual Equity Across the Globe’ presentation are, from left, Cassaundra Sledge, Lula Baker, Monique Joseph, Dr. Jsahna Simmons, Sonia Fergus, Yolanda Boyd, Rene Belton, Veronica Taylor, Tammi Williams, Niambi Harris, Crystyn Wright and Dr. Donnetta Green. In the front are, from left, Amina Anekwe, Janice Johnson Dias and Lisa Maxwell.
Pictured at the West Orange library for the ‘The Justice Agenda: Achieving Menstrual Equity Across the Globe’ presentation are, from left, Cassaundra Sledge, Lula Baker, Monique Joseph, Dr. Jsahna Simmons, Sonia Fergus, Yolanda Boyd, Rene Belton, Veronica Taylor, Tammi Williams, Niambi Harris, Crystyn Wright and Dr. Donnetta Green. In the front are, from left, Amina Anekwe, Janice Johnson Dias and Lisa Maxwell.
Periods affect everybody.
Without periods, you cannot create life.
GrassROOTS Community Foundation, based in West Orange, brought this powerful message to the West Orange Public Library where their program “The Justice Agenda: Achieving Menstrual Equity Across the Globe” was presented.
With this presentation, they officially launched their strategic vision for global menstrual equity, outlining the actions the foundation will take from this year through 2030 in Jamaica, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, and the United States.
The event was well attended with 22 people in the library and 13 people watching on Zoom.
Former councilwoman Tammy Williams; Veronica Taylor, superintendent of the Division of Parks and Recreation of West Orange; and Yolanda Boyd from Middlesex Regional Black Nurses Association were present.
GrassROOTS Community Foundation board member, Lisa Maxwell, said the goal was to create a world for all girls to grow up to be healthy women.
“We have been doing this work since 2018,” Maxwell said. “We were introduced to the concept of period poverty. So many girls are missing school. They did not have access to supplies.”
“We are always grounded in research. We perceive this to be only in poor countries. It’s in every corner of the world where there’s women and girls,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell explained that the issues of menstrual equity start with silence around menstruation—and the shame.
“Boys making fun of girls. Boys don’t learn about periods,” she said. “Society suggests this is a girl’s issue. It creates shame. Shame is internalized. When that shame happens, it causes folks not to talk about periods. It has long-term consequences.”
GrassROOTS Community Foundation is there to make sure there are resources, to normalize conversations about periods.
“Take it out of the dark,” said Maxwell. “Have resources and products easily available when you go to the bathroom.”
Janice Johnson Dias, GrassROOTS Community Foundation president and founder said, “We devoted our energy to tackling the stigma and the shame. High schools are full of menstruators, 14 and older.”
With menstruation starting even earlier in some young girls—at the age of 9—Dias said their plan is to have conversations with young men to educate them.
GrassROOTS Community Foundation has a team of men who can speak to boys of younger ages.
“We want people to know that there is nothing wrong, it’s a part of life,” said Dias. “We mostly do our work in schools. Hear us intimately talk about this matter. It’s not a woman’s issue; it’s an issue of humanity.”
To learn more about the work of GrassROOTS Community Foundation, visit: https://grassrootscommunityfoundation.org/.
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