In honor of International Women’s Day, the Moon Time Sisters, an Indigenous-led menstrual equity group, are continuing their tireless efforts to support period equity for Indigenous communities in northern Canada. During the International Women’s Month, the conversation around period equity becomes more pressing. Menstruating is not a choice, yet access to period products is not a given for everyone.
Nicole White, the founder of Moon Time Sisters, started the initiative in 2017 as a result of reading a CBC story about young people missing school due to a lack of access to menstrual products. Since then, she has voluntarily worked to address the issue of period equity in northern communities and beyond.
“Menstruation is a personal issue and journey, and what works for one person may not work for others,” said White. “We work in partnership with communities. They tell us what they need, what product they want, and if they are open to trying cloth pads, period underwear, we are happy to share education and the products with them.”
Moon Time Sisters now has four chapters across Canada in Ontario, BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Each chapter collects donations for period products from donors across the provinces, which are then transported up north during. The organization has shipped approximately two million products to northern communities in the last three years alone. Evidently, without this collective effort, there would be a significant lack of menstrual products among northern menstruators.
White does one big drive in Saskatchewan during the fall to collect donations of menstrual products from generous supporters across the province. These products are then distributed to Indigenous communities that may not have access to affordable options. Stores up north often have higher prices for menstrual products, and some individuals have to travel to the nearest big city to purchase them at a more reasonable cost. This is an added expense that many people cannot afford. The Moon Time Sisters are committed to breaking down these barriers to period equity and ensuring that everyone has access to the products they need to manage their periods safely and with dignity.
“A product that I could spend $5 on in Saskatoon would be $20 depending on the community up there”, said White.
This means that, for families living under the poverty line, menstrual products are considered luxury items. Moon Time Sisters works in partnership with communities to ensure that they get the products they need.
Cherise Chrispen, a Moon Time Sisters volunteer in northern Saskatchewan, knows firsthand the struggles that menstruators face in accessing period products in northern communities.
“It’s not easy, it’s not the same in smaller communities,” she said. “Mailing can get super expensive, and I don’t know how often courier companies would go there. If somebody lives further away, they would have to rely on people’s willingness to take products with them when they are already going there.”
Veronica Brown, Project Lead of the Ontario chapter, explains how the organization distributes products once they reach northern communities.
“Each chapter does a drive at a different time,” she said. “During the drives, we take most of our products. Then we pull packing parties, everyone comes together, we count and repack the items, and ship them off to the northern airline depending on where they are going. All chapters have connected to someone in communities up north, they will distribute it. If they are going to a healthcare centre, they will do a community outreach. High schools distribute [them] in their bathrooms.”
Moon Time Sisters’ impact extends beyond providing access to menstrual products. The organization empowers northern menstruators and raises awareness around period equity.
“Our society expects people to be performative every day,” said Chrispen. “People shouldn’t need to choose between buying Advil and pads. There are people who don’t menstruate anymore because they are having to choose between products and food. Moon Time Sisters is a super valuable resource. It’s important work for the north.”
“Understanding about period inequity in Canada and specifically within northern and indigenous communities is so important to bring around the table for access and affordability. When we talk about period equity for everybody, which is an important topic if we want to be successful as a society, we need to also bring about northern voices in that conversation,” Brown added.
The organization’s volunteers are making a significant impact in the lives of northern menstruators, who are often marginalized and face significant barriers to accessing menstrual products. As the world recognizes International Women’s Day, work still needs to be done to achieve period equity for all.
Later this year, the Moon Time Sisters will be announcing a name change and will then be known as Moon Time Connections. The change comes as part of their efforts to be more inclusive and to work towards destigmatizing menstruation. The group worked closely with Two Spirit Elders to identify a respectful name that reflects their mission of bringing menstruation out of the shadows.
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