Month: April 2020

This is what I posted:

‼️Did you know that 5.8 billion tampons were bought in the U.S in 2018?‼️

The average female person will menstruate for 6 ½ years/2400 days of their lifetime, have an average of 396 total periods and use up to 15,000 or more of menstrual products.

That’s a lot of period and a lot of pads and tampons which are mostly made of plastic. ☹️
Most of these used products end up in landfills or the ocean and washup along beaches.

👉🏻During a beach clean up in New Jersey (in 2013) volunteers collected thousands of plastic tampon applicators washed up on the beach.

🙌🏻The solution is to use eco-friendly products. Luckily places like Target have made these products easily accessible and easy on the wallet.

Here are some links to my favorites:

🌿🌿L. Organic Pads and Tampons
✔️Organic Cotton
✔️For Every L. product purchased one is made accessible to a person who needs it
✔️Cruelty Free

Find it here>>>
https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=l

.

🌺🌺7TH Generation Pads & Tampons
✔️Biodegradable applicator
✔️Organic Cotton

👉🏻Find it here
https://www.target.com/s…

🌸🌸Kora Pads and Tampons
✔️Organic Cotton
✔️non-applicator option for tampon

👉🏻Find it here
https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=kora+pads+and+tampons

🌱🌱NatraCare Pads and Tampons
✅100% Plastic Free
Made with biodegradable carboard applicator for tampons
✅100% Organic Cotton

👉🏻Find it here
https://www.luckyvitamin.com/sb-natracare-pads-and-tampons

#plasticfreeperiod #noplasticperiod #normalizemenstruation #loveyourbody #normalizeperiod

 

Some additional reading:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/…/how-tampons-pads-bec…/…

https://www.bustle.com/p/9-unusual-period-products-that-can…

https://www.natracare.com/…/6-reasons-to-choose-organic-ta…/

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/alternative-period-supplies

https://www.natracare.com/…/how-much-plastic-in-sanitary-p…/

https://www.huffpost.com/ent…/period-cost-lifetime_n_7258780

 

 

 

Results:

There were a few likes and a few comments. In the post, I only included links to some products widely available at Target and another brand available online. Most of the people who liked my post were female and there was one male. To my surprise, someone commented that another solution could be to use cloth pads and she gave an Etsy link and mentioned that some stores sell them now too. She said she had been using cloth pads since 2014 and loved them.

Another person commented to use the diva cup. I thought these were both great because I had mentioned that I could include other options but I didn’t and people mentioned them anyway.

Another woman buys her pads at CVS or Walmart and uses the colorful packaged ones (Kotex brand) after reading that tampons weren’t that healthy to use.

Someone who had used the Diva Cup before tried it and decided it wouldn’t work for her lifestyle. She said that although you could save money because a diva cup is only $30 as opposed to buying disposable tampons and pads all the time, that it’s messy and slightly time-consuming to figure out and not easy to incorporate in her everyday busy life (she said you have to be pretty flexible to insert it which may not be for everyone).

Someone else who had mentioned the reusable washable cloth pads but that it’s time-consuming to wash, and that you would need space/ a designated area to wash it. For those living in tight quarters, a room, or a small apartment it’s not ideal because you need a soaking area and hanging/drying area. If she had the time, space, and extra cash to buy a bunch of reusable pads then she would do it because it definitely would reduce waste.

Another person said she uses the Kora brand (which was a brand I had suggested on my post), and another person said she also uses the Natrabrand (I think this brand was the best one because it’s 100% plastic-free) and the L. Pads & Tampons (another one that I suggested in my post).

 

Was it successful:

I’m not sure if it was successful. Some may not have wanted to comment because I’m not sure how many people are comfortable talking about pads/tampons on Facebook. However, I think it was successful on bringing awareness because, for example, some people knew that tampons were wasteful bad for the body to use but not how wasteful it was and what the stats were. I was surprised to find that 90% of a pad is made of plastic. Money and time seemed to be a big factor as well so having a standard product that easily available seemed like a good option.

 

IDEA

Feminine menstrual products are environmentally wasteful. Changing the products that are used every month is a simple and easy way to limit waste. For example, in 2018, 5.8 billion tampons were purchased in the U.S. Many tampons that are flushed down the toilet can end up in the oceans, and although the plastic applicator on the tampon is recyclable it is not accepted at recycling plants because of sanitary reasons. From plastic wrapping being apart of packaging, to plastic adhesive or plastic wings on pads, many parts of the pads and tampons are composed of plastic. One solution is the menstrual cup or a reusable pad, there are also menstruation underwear. One could also use organic tampons and natural pads which are also better for the body doesn’t have harmful chemicals during farming which is also better for wildlife.

PLAN

Activist post on my Facebook page about the environmental waste of feminine products like pads and tampons. The first image will be a “Did You know?”. It will explain the amount of environmental waste used from feminism products as well as facts about where used products end up, that they are not recyclable, how many are purchased every year, etc. The second image will be a 3 or 5-way plan/infographic on how everyone can easily implement environmental-friendly practices during menstruation with URL’s included on where to find products and links to sources and where to buy more ecofriendly options.

 

The goal is to help people switch to more environmentally conscious feminine products. I think the plan would be effective because for those who may not know about the harmful effects of these products can learn quickly about it on Facebook with links. Some of the options are easy to implement such as just switching to organic/plastic free pads and tampons which are widely available now at large box stores like Target and for those who would like to really make a big difference can switch to the diva cup for example.

 

A lot of these readings involve both the oppression of women and the degradation of nature, as well as violence towards women who stand up for the protection of the environment. For example, in the article on The Guardian by Sam Levin, Native American women lead the protests against the Dakota Access pipeline. However, it’s not just the protests that demonstrated these inequalities. “Native tribal leaders have also repeatedly argued that oil booms in states
like North Dakota have had dire consequences for indigenous women.” Highly-paid oil workers live in “so-called man-camps”, and has lead to more “human trafficking, assault, rape and drug crimes”, toward indigenous women. Meanwhile, native American leaders argue that law enforcement has failed at prevented and prosecuting these crimes.1 This is an example of the degradation of nature. Since we know the toll/pollution on the environment from mining/fracking along with the oppression of women who are oppressed by their skin color, class, religion, gender as a community.

Another interesting environmental feminism approach is the Green Belt movement in Africa that was founded on Earth Day in 1977. The woman who started it, Wangari Maathai brings up a good point that women in these African communities are most aware of the environmental degradation from water to food because they are taking care of their children/families. From finding new water sources to growing food. The Green Belt movement taught women how to plant/grow trees and then eventually collecting seeds themselves which helped with the soil erosion, and also provided firewood. This movement was easily accessible/applicable to women to implement and they had planted more than 20 million trees in Kenya alone. This is a deeper problem as well that stems from the government and in this case a dictatorship that controlled information (created inequality in class, education etc..).

On a Facebook post I saw from the Dartmouth Guide, they reposted a photo and caption from someone on Earth Day. They went to Round Hill Beach during low tide to see if they “could find any litter” and ”clean up the beach”. To their “surprise” it was spotless. When I saw this post I had to roll my eyes because Round Hill Beach is in a privileged area.

For context, Round Hill Beach is situated in South Dartmouth (a wealthier area of Dartmouth), and between Salter’s Point and the Round Hill Beach houses/mansion, etc..). It would be like saying ‘let’s go clean up the streets of Nonquit’, another nearby privileged community. Instead, it would have made more sense to drive 5-10 minutes to Clarks Cove in New Bedford on the border of Dartmouth, or even Fort Tabor/New Bedford Harbor where the community is less privileged because of class/wealth/status and clean up the real trash along the beach! You have to ask yourself well why is Round Hill Beach Spotless but Clarks Cove/New Bedford harbor isn’t and the difference is because Round Hill Beach is surrounded by a privileged community (wealth/class/more time). I think time is also a privilege as well. If you don’t have enough time to keep up with just everyday life then why would you consider cleaning up a dirty beach or to notice that it’s dirty in the first place?

I agree that behind the material deprivations/cultural losses of the marginalized and poor lie the deeper issues of disempowerment and/or environmental degradation, for example, an article on Vice.com shows children in Recife swimming in a garbage-filled canal picking cans to sell. Which also highlights not just the issue of environmental pollution but also poverty.

 

 

1. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/04/dakota-access-pipeline-protest-standing-rock-women-police-abuse
2. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/kwpwja/the-brazilian-slum-children-who-are-literally-swimming-in-garbage-0000197-v21n1
3. http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/key-speeches-and-articles/speak-truth-to-power

A person’s identity is made of multiple categories such as white, female, female, skin color, class, attractiveness, speaking English as a first language, speaking English as a second language, to name a few. Intersectionality looks at these different parts that make up someone’s identity and view the ways that they are oppressed or privileged within each category. For example, someone may be light-skinned (privileged) but also be a poor woman ( oppressed by class status and gender). Someone could have multiple aspects of their identity that are oppressed or multiple ways that they are privileged or a combination of both,

The ecofeminist interconnected ”Web” perspective takes this idea of identity/intersectionality and applies to ecofeminism (the environment and feminism). For example, someone who may be female (oppressed) may be privileged because of whiteness, class, education, etc may have greater accessibility, support and perspective regarding abortion than a woman who is oppressed not only by being female but also by being poor (limited access to healthcare) and being uneducated (unaware of the options, unaware of the larger toll on the planet of having multiple children).

Another example could be access to quality, organic/all-natural, cruelty-free products. There is a huge difference between beauty products available at Target vs. Walmart. Target has more options for all-natural, healthy products than Walmart. An investment advising/news website, Business Insider mentions that “Walmart has always been the home of the cost-conscious low-to middle-income consumer, but Placer-ai found that Target sees 18% more of its customers earning $100,000 a year or more than Walmart does.” In this perspective of class oppression, Walmart which has lower-income consumers don’t have readily available access to many higher quality beauty products that may be,  1 – better for the environment and 2 – better for the body. One example of a product is organic or all-natural pads or tampons. Target offers three or four healthier brands while Walmart does not offer any in-store. We know that pads and tampon waste are detrimental to the environment, (oppression) and that because Walmart’s customer generally makes less money, their customers do not have access to the same quality of feminine hygiene products that Target does because of their class oppression or education about the products available. Also according to a business insider the majority of people who shop at both Walmart and Target are white, however, more Black people shop at Walmart than Target and more Hispanic people shop at Target than Walmart at both Retail stores 75% of the shoppers are women. With that said, having these products NOT available at places like Walmart is a clear result of gender, class, and racial oppression. According to the blog Black Feminist Thought 2016, black women are at the “front lines” of environmental degradation.

 

Bibliography:

1. Stats on race, gender, age, and the income of shoppers at Target and Walmart. https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-shopper-demographics-2016-10

2. Average shoppers that go to Target vs. Walmart. https://reviews.cheapism.com/target-vs-walmart/

Norgaard and York’s main point is that if more women were involved in the policies of the government that there would be greater environmental enforcement in place. Research suggests that women “have different values than men” and are more likely to be more concerned about the environment than men are.1

• Women have been socialized to be caregivers
• Women have been socialized to be nurturing
• Women have different views on what is considered hazardous
• Women are involved in more environmental movements

However, they also maintain that even though the research might prove that women are more concerned with the environment – the above is not a complete list of factors.

Furthermore, states/governments with less environmental protection policy also have a connection with gender discrimination and oppression of women. Likewise there is a correlation with increased representation of women within government and increased environmental protection policies.

The two Countries this article looks further into for examples are Sweden and Indonesia which are both modernized countries with high standards of living. Indonesia has limited women representation in government whereas in Sweden there is gender equality,and  higher women representation. One result of this correlation is that Sweden is ranked highest and Singapoor has one of the poorest environmental scores.

In 1999 the percentage of gender equality in government was 42.7% and ranked top 1 in the world with Denmark, Norway and The Netherlands close behind.

Interestingly enough – the article points out that modernization lead to more environmental policies but also that modernization leads to environmental degradation which they label as an “ironic situation”. They advise that although there might be a country/state/government with environmental protections in place that it is also environmentally responsible.

 

 

 

 

Website #1

https://www.eli.org/vibrant-environment-blog/leadership-women-environmental-movement

The first website that further illustrates the connection between women and environmental policies is an article from the Environmental Law Institute.

• Women in major environmental policies in history
• Environmentalism began during the early 1800s, as a result of the industrial revolution which due to the factories the air and water were becoming extremely polluted. (This is an interesting observation in relation to Norgaard and York’s point about how this is an ironic situation. Where more industrialization, globalization leads to more pollution and more pollution while globalization and industrialization also create more environmental policies.)

 

• Groups were formed in response most notably with women in the forefront although denied political positions of power.
• A few women of the environmental movement include:
  • Lady Bird Johnson who helped advocate for the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, The Wilderness Act of 1964, and The Land and Water Conservation Fund.
  • Mollie Beattie who added wildlife refuges.
  • Carol Martha Browner who was the second female Administrator of the EPA from 1993 -2001. She was also the director of the White House’s Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy from 2009-2011.
  • Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” led to the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970.
  • Christine Todd Whitman was the third female Administrator of the EPA from 2001 to 2003.
  • Hilda Lucia Solis promoting environmental justice in regard to health care, economic development, and education within communities.
• History shows there is a clear connection between women and the progress of environmental policies, protections, and groups.

 

 

Website #2

https://truthout.org/articles/why-we-need-more-women-involved-in-creating-environmental-policy/

The second website that further illustrates the connection of women in environmental policies is an article on Truthout.org titled, “Why We Need More Women Involved in Creating Environmental Policy”.

This article also coincides with Norgaard and York statement that women are more prone to support environmental policies than men. “In 2014, researchers from the University of Melbourne found a significant link between gender and environmental identity, showing that women are more likely to strive for environmental protection.”

They also bring up another interesting perspective on gender. Since gender is not as cut and dry as just male/female because most studies have been conducted on the two most dominant male/female genders it would be interesting to see what the results of transgender or genderqueer people would entail. “Perhaps future studies will give us a deeper understanding of the full impact of gender and sexual orientation on policy development.”

This article mentions some statistics of women in politics with Europe ranking at 29-37% representation while in the US a mere 20% of women representation, a notable clear lag in the gender gap.

On a more hopeful note: “The direction of change is slow, but there is a movement toward democratization and including women in the policy process. There clearly needs to be more awareness and emphasis on the importance of including women and other disenfranchised groups in the policy process, and even the research aspect of it”.

 

Statistic: The US is rated 75/193 countries worldwide for female representation in government as of March 5th, 2019.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/04/the-us-ranks-75th-in-womens-representation-in-government.html