Lunapads

That was my reaction after viewing this horror show of clips of media commentators making less than respectful observations about female political figures, notably Nancy Pelosi, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. The Women’s Media Center has created this and many other works that will serve as a good re-energizer for those of us wearied by the under-representation and gratuitous bashing of women in positions of power, and a wakeup call for those who have yet to accept the necessity of feminism.

While I’m on the topic of women and politics, a plug for Equal Voice, a Canadian multi-partisan organization working to increase women’s participation in public life, seems apt. In my time as a citizen, feminist and media observer, I have come to the conclusion that we as women need to support our sisters on the public stage, regardless of political stripe (i.e. you don’t have to vote for or even agree with all their ideas, but please at least respect the crucial value of their participation, and for having the courage to step up to the plate.) Thanks ladies.

Believe it or not, we have been working on Happier periods, naturally! the Lunapads guide to natural cycles for girls and teens for close to 3 (count ‘em!) years. It’s been a long journey, but as they say, sometimes good things can take a while.

This beautifully illustrated 28 page booklet (also available as a .pdf download) presents an inspiring, educational and eco-minded look at cycles and periods.  We wrote this booklet to provide young girls and teens with a perspective about periods and cycles that we wish someone had written when we were growing up.  Emphasizing the positive and celebratory aspects of getting your period (without being preachy or getting technical) the booklet features a “do it yourself” Cycle Chart, natural remedies for cramps, a discussion about the environmental impact of disposable products, and tips for using natural menstrual products at school and beyond.  We think this booklet ideal for every girl or teen who is just starting her journey to becoming a woman. 

Receive a FREE copy with every Lunapads Teen Kit purchased – this month only!

Big thank you’s to all the amazing women who helped to make Happier periods, naturally! happen: contributors include past and present Lunapads staffers (and alumni) Sandra, Lisa, Marie-Genevieve and Krisztina, Scarleteen.com creatrix and S.E.X. author Heather Corinna, cunt: a declaration of independence author inga muscio, progressive local GP Dr. Dorle Kneifel, teen sexual health educator and creator of “You Go, Girl!” workshops Saleema Noon, mother-daughter customers Karen and KT Patrick, myvag.net’s Sarah Mundy, uber-supporter and webmistress Emira Mears and last but hardly least, Dr. Jerilynn Prior, Scientific Director of the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR), who dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s and contributed a gracious foreward. And in case you were wondering who’s responsible for the gorgeous layout and design, look no further than Tessa and the wonderful team at Fluid Communications. It was wonderful to share this project with so many talented people.  Please write back and tell us what you think!

This Sunday is Car-Free Day in Vancouver! What started off as a small closure of Commercial Drive in 2005 has now expanded to become a city-wide event. The shopping/walking communities of Downtown, Kitsilano, Main Street and Commercial Drive will each shut down multiple blocks of traffic and open up the streets to alternative forms of transportation - it’s amazing how communities become alive without cars grumbling through them all day. You see people out with dogs and children and strollers and rollerblades and flip-flops and stilts and unicycles and…my favourite - bicylces! So in honour of this awesome day where we see how the power of the people can create a vibrant city, I have found for all the gals out there a special, women-centric bicycle…the Vulva Taxi

Created by Finnish artist Mimosa Pale to protest a world that is ‘too man-parts-centric.’ Thrice weekly she invites residents of Helsinki to ride along in her taxi and help make her part of the world a little more female-friendly. Girls, let’s take back the streets!

Happy Car-Free Day!

Crunchy Chicken (Deanna Duke)’s legion of fans have come together to organize a tribute to her in the form of Lordisa-only-knows how many blog posts, plus a drive for Goods 4 Girls Kits in her honor. In case you’re not already acquainted with la Crunch, check out the blog and her Goods 4 Girls site, which is devoted to supplying schoolgirls in Africa with sustainable menstrual supplies, and by extension keep them in school while they’re menstruating. In short, she rocks, and if you’re not already a fan, then you’re in for some ass-kicking inspiration.

We’ve been asked to write a specific post about what Deanna’s posts have meant to us, so here goes: I must confess to being a relatively recent addition to her Crunchiness’ fan club, which began when she recruited Lunapads to the Goods 4 Girls cause (it wasn’t hard!) In those few months, however, I have been completely won over by her hilarious, well-researched, articulate and deeply personal calls to arms with respect to taking real, meaningful steps towards more sustainable lifestyles. In a world where we are short on heroes, this woman shines like few others with her feisty way of calling the BS and leading by example when it comes to everything from greenwash consumerism to growing vegetables.

Thanks to her influence, Affluenza is my bedtime reading of choice, the Lunagals passed on a “shopping extravaganza”-themed event for women entrepreneurs, and our customers have donated hundreds of Goods 4 Girls kits. I am recommitted to working out my personal eco-bugs, and my garden is resplendent with everything from leeks to strawberries.

When it comes to the gardening, Crunchy’s example has been particularly timely for me, as I am enjoying my first-ever very own backyard and am even considering doing some home canning, a completely new adventure for me. Working in the garden has also proved to be a wonderful activity for Gigi and I to share (see gratuitous cute daughter photo at right - couldn’t resist!)

Needless to say, Deanna is also a major advocate of natural menstrual products (particularly the DivaCup, and she has personally converted hundreds of women with her DivaCup challenges.) Thanks to her example I am going one step further and replacing some of my toilet paper usage with my daughter’s homemade cloth wipes, something I’m not sure that I would otherwise have done. Last but not least, I have recently resurrected my old sewing machine and am excited to return to making some of the household linens and clothing.

So thanks, Deanna, for everything. You’re a fantastic role model and inspiration. We wish you, your fans and family all the best, and are proud to be your allies in taking better care of our beautiful planet. Oh, and while I’m here, Goods 4 Girls kits are an additional 10% off the already cost-price for the month of June, so if you haven’t already donated, please consider making a difference in this unique way.

Holy smokes, am I ever feeling silly with this one. Here’s the story: my freshly 3 year old daughter Genevieve came down with a fever earlier this week so has been at home. As those of you who are parents well know, there is only so much napping, reading and cookie making that one can peacefully manage with a grumpy toddler in a day before everyone needs a break. As much as I am loathe to admit it, TV’s just the ticket for these situations. G’s exposure to television to this point has been very limited (Knowledge Network only - no ads, and for short periods only), and the odd video (Finding Nemo).

So my poor dear daughter is feeling rotten and naturally as her Mom I want to perk her up, so I think “hey, how about getting the Little Mermaid video?” So off we go to the video store, where of course they don’t have the Little Mermaid (it’s 2 months overdue!), just (Goddess help me, I had no idea!) an entire wall of Barbie videos. G goes mental. Now, understand that she does not own a Barbie doll, so how she even knows what or who Barbie is, is unclear to me. Nevertheless, clearly she does and desperately wants to know more. Alarmed, I manage to pare her overflowing armload down to 3 DVDs, all the while cursing my feminist soul - if only my Women’s Studies classmates could see me now!

Back at the ranch, we sit down to the vids. What gets me most is not their impossible figures, but how nasty the Barbies (well, not Barbie herself of course) are to one another, not to mention other assorted unpleasant female characters. In fact, the plots in my limited sample all seemed to come down to the following drama: innocent, blonde (only mean characters have dark hair) Barbie is happily going about her business when she is maliciously confronted by a jealous, dark-haired female. Dark-haired female unsuccessfully plots to do away with Barbie, who ultimately triumphs by winning the true love of a Prince. If she doesn’t start off being a Princess, she somehow becomes one along the way, dress included. Here’s a sample of our conversation:

G: “Mommy, why is she being mean to Barbie?”

Me: “Because she’s jealous.”

G: “What’s jealous?”

Me: “Being mad at someone because they have something you don’t.”

G: “Why?”

And so on. What have I done?!?

It doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of point in trying to stem the tide at this point (as a girl I loved Barbies too, and it seems like denial of the highest order to pretend that Barbie doesn’t exist), other than to make a BOLD note to self: DO NOT TAKE G TO THE VIDEO STORE, EVER. That said, 3 seems a bit young to start work on media literacy and feminist criticism. Or is this really so bad? Like it or not, there are mean and jealous people in the world after all, we just need to recognize that they don’t all have the same hair color. Any thoughts, feminist (or thought they were) Moms?

We have been blown away by the response to our “Goods4Girls” campaign that we blogged about earlier. Launched less than 2 weeks ago on March 5th, customers have already donated 45 kits (37 pad kits, 8 lunapanties kits) and they keep coming. A number of women donated several kits, including a customer who donated 4 kits and purchased nothing else! We will be sending our monthly donation, along with these 45 kits to Goods4Girls this week.

The campaign recently received some local press here in Vancouver. Our local indie paper “The Georgia Straight” intereviewed Deanna Duke of Goods4Girls and Madeleine for the story (and me in the sidebar commentary). We are so pleased this story is getting some well deserved attention in the media.

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Everywoman’s Health Centre’s second annual Art for Everywoman’s — a Wine, Cheese and Farmer’s Market fundraiser — is the perfect solution for pre-Christmas craziness…after all, where ELSE can you drink BC wine and beer, eat organic cheese, listen to live music, socialize AND Christmas shop from an all-local, independent farmer’s market all at the same time?!
Lunapads will be there with bells on, so come on out to join the party!

As the Holidays approach it’s hard not to feel inundated with “gift ideas” (hey, we even have some!) and wonder if we haven’t lost sight of the real message of holiday giving. Here are some organizations working in different ways to improve women’s lives that could use your support.

Tsunamika
Our current “free gift” with orders, Tsunamika dolls originally came to us as gifts from Nikiah at Mama Goddess Birth Shop. Tsunamika are tiny dolls handmade by women survivors of the December 26, 2004 South Asian tsunami. A collective of 500 women in Tamil Nadu province, India make and distribute tsunamika as tools for awareness and fund raising. We encourage you to
follow Lunapads’ lead and donate!

Women for Women International
I received Zainab Salbi’s book “Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny: Growing up in the Shadow of Saddam” as a Christmas gift last year and was mesmerized by it. A survivor of war herself, Salbi went on to create Women for Women International, an organization dedicated to helping female survivors of conflict rebuild their lives. WFW takes an intensive, holistic approach to bringing women from being victims to survivors.

Not For Sale
An estimated 27 million people, mostly women and children, are currently enslaved worldwide. Not for Sale is a campaign of artists, individuals, musicians, people of faith, businesses, schools and sports teams united to stop it. Don’t just get mad about women and children enslaved in the sex trade – Not For Sale has a ton of suggestions for getting active – now.

CODEPINK
CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities. With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.

Are there organizations that you want the Lunapads community to know about? Tell us and we’ll help to spread the word!

How does one make sure girls are getting involded in the action sports that have typically been left to the ‘boyz’? You start your own community to get women involved! Enter Bettygohard, the action sports company focused on inspiring women. Created by Natasha Lockey aka Betty, a lover of action sports who was frustrated at never seeing Girls in Action and wanted to see more girls out there pushing their limits and inspiring others to do the same! She wanted to create a safe space where women could play hard and get the suport they needed to get involved.

She started out with a series of women’s weekly shuttle-assisted rides followed with appetizers (wine, cheese & chocolate…the way to a girls heart.) This mountain biking series was created after speaking with a number of women who wanted to get out on their bikes but lacked confidence and riding partners of a similar level. She has been overwhelmed with the positive response for the six week riding series, and is developing other programs to accommodate the demand.

While inspiring women to get outdoors, she also decided to make a point of educating women on how to respect their bodies. She contacted us here at Lunapads to make a donation so we sent along a Mini Pantyliner for each rider in the summer series - they were a hit! Wearing cloth pads while riding a bike is far more comfortable and healthier for you.

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We are often asked to contribute samples and information to various women’s and environmental groups. The Younger Women’s Task Force is a great example. Pictured here are participants in the YWTF’s recent national leadership conference in Washington DC, holding the Lunapads gift packs we donated.

The YWTF is a project of the National Council of Women’s Organizations in the USA. It is a nationwide, diverse and inclusive grassroots movement dedicated to organizing younger women and their allies to take action on issues that matter most to them. By and for younger women, YWTF works both within and beyond the women’s movement, engaging all who are invested in advancing the rights of younger women. Through its twelve chapters across the USA, YWTF members are working to:
- Provide a stronger voice in the policy making process for women in their 20’s and 30’s
- Increase the impact of younger women activists through the articulation of, and collaboration on, a common agenda
- Create a culture of inclusion where decision-making and power are practiced collectively, and members from diverse backgrounds participate in all levels of YWTF
- Define and develop the next generation of women leaders
- Create a local and national network for peer mentoring, networking and sharing resources
Sounds like our kind of thing!