Articles
Period is not a dirty word or a curse Eve Jeffery
Clean water
It took a man with a woman’s name to tell us all that Only Women Bleed, and in 1975 some of us felt a bit icky on several levels. The double entendre was not lost on Alice Cooper fans, yet today over forty years later, the concept still hasn’t quite gotten through: only women bleed and we don’t actually do it on purpose. It’s a thing. It happens. To some it is a joyous rite of passage and to others, as its antiquated named suggests, it’s a curse.
No woman or girl should have to manage their period without access to the sanitary product of their choice. At a minimum, women everywhere need clean water for washing themselves and any reusable sanitary materials, and decent private toilets that give them space and, privacy, as well as access to adequate and acceptable sanitary products and disposal methods. For a start, let’s all start practising the word. Period.
Not a choice To reduce it to nuts and bolts, when a female reaches a certain age and a certain weight (about 34 kilos), her body, without her permission, decides she is an adult and therefore able to reproduce humans. Her ovaries via one of her fallopian tubes will release an egg that has nestled within her since before she was born. If within about four to six days that egg is not fertilised, the lining of the womb where the egg was deposited falls away and is
There are a myriad of ways women manage their period including IUD, menstrual cup to cloth, menstruation skirt or homemade sanitary pad. Image supplied expelled via the vagina. This is what is most commonly called, in grownup circles, her period. She’s menstruating, and our year 8 biology books will tell us that, left unfertilised, those eggs will be expelled at a rate of about one every 28 days.
A natural event Menstruating is a natural and very normal part of a woman’s life for about 35 years, and most women choose to not leave traces of their DNA on every flat surface so they take measures, as my mother would say ‘to
keep themselves nice’. Governments fail to prioritise periods – why? From menstrual cup to cloth, menstruation skirt or homemade sanitary pad, a new photo gallery from WaterAid highlights the many and varied ways in which women around the world manage their periods. Millions of females menstruate every month, yet governments across the world continue to ignore the issue and its associated links to women’s health, economic and social wellbeing not to mention the stigma
Helping hand WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere, within a generation. The international not-forprofit organisation works in 34 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 25.8 million people with clean water and 25.1 million people with decent toilets. For more information, visit wateraid.org.au or facebook. com/WaterAidAustralia.
Patrick will focus on the craft of mindfulness practice and the principles that guide it. When the time comes to stop sleepwalking and begin to pay attention, to discover your own path, Patrick’s teachings will introduce some crucial skills. All are welcome
Cost
$88
+ dana
For more about Patrick please visit www.dharmasalon.net
See Facebook link
Bookings – See Byron Bay Meditation Centre Facebook Event post or call Greg on 0431 747 764
CLOSING DOWN SALE Tribal Rugs, Indian and Java Furniture | Architectural Pieces and Doors | Importer Clearance *Afghan tribal rugs and kilims, Persian carpets, Hall runners, Chobi vege dye rugs, Khal Mohammedi, Turkoman, Ersari rugs, Imperial Khazak rugs, Balouch camel bags, Donkey bags, Harem pillows, Cushions, Tent hangers *Old Indian doors, Balinese gates, Old columns, Archways, Windows, Carved timber panels and strips, Carved wall features, Bed heads *Old teak day beds, Beds, Bedsides, Sofas, Benches, Teak hand-carved vanities, Timber-carved mirrors, Old Indian trunks, Sideboards, Consoles, Desks, Drawers, Wardrobes, Cabinets, Shelves, Dining tables, Chairs, Coffee tables, Indian chakki grinder tables, Canopy beds, Carved panel doors, Screens *Stone Buddhas, Ganeshas, Indian deities and goddess statues, Tantra statues, Brass statues, Brass Punjabi pots, Brass handles, Brass bells, Marble and granite basins, Ceramic knobs, Indian sarees, Curtains, Old locks, Lanterns, Decorator items…loads more.
WE AR E
NOCOATTING REL WE ARNEG CLOSI
HUGE DISCOUNTS HUGE WAREHOUSE FULL OF STOCK TO CLEAR CASH AND CARRY…BRING YOUR TRAILER
17 Banksia Drive, Arts & Industry Estate
Byron Bay 02 6685 5588 www.shikaradesign.com www.echo.net.au/byron-echo Byron Shire Echo archives
OPEN 10am–5pm Mon–Fri 10am–4pm Saturday Closed Sunday WE SHIP AUSTRALIA WIDE żſĶō ǩǫǽ ǩǧǨǰ The Byron Shire Echo 13