Northern Blood
Period Politics and Activism in Canada
Will be published approx. on 13. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
408 pages
978-0-2280-2722-5 (ISBN)
Description
Menstruation is an everyday reality for many Canadians, yet it has long been a site of inequity and at the margins of political and academic inquiry. This is changing. Over the past two decades the global menstrual equity movement has pursued a spectrum of efforts to resist the mandate of shame, secrecy, and silence and to heighten awareness of menstruation as a social and political issue.
Groundbreaking in its exploration of period politics from a uniquely Canadian perspective, Northern Blood brings together lived experiences, stories, and teachings from the broader menstruation justice movement and sets them within the context of decolonization, multiculturalism, and gender equity. This powerful collection sheds light on the diversity of sites where period politics and activism take place - from universities to prisons to social and geographical communities. Individual chapters discuss how online spaces are used to challenge menstruation stigma; the role of student-led advocacy in menstrual activism; how menstruation activists mobilized for the removal of the gst from menstrual products in 2015; structural injustices in menstrual experiences and activism among Black people, Indigenous people, people of colour, transgender men, and nonbinary people; and the barriers that may prevent menstruators from choosing reusable products.
The first book of its kind to explore menstrual activism in Canada, Northern Blood brings together key voices to reflect the diversity of the menstrual equity movement in Canada, highlighting emerging and established scholars, grassroots activists, and political advocates.
Groundbreaking in its exploration of period politics from a uniquely Canadian perspective, Northern Blood brings together lived experiences, stories, and teachings from the broader menstruation justice movement and sets them within the context of decolonization, multiculturalism, and gender equity. This powerful collection sheds light on the diversity of sites where period politics and activism take place - from universities to prisons to social and geographical communities. Individual chapters discuss how online spaces are used to challenge menstruation stigma; the role of student-led advocacy in menstrual activism; how menstruation activists mobilized for the removal of the gst from menstrual products in 2015; structural injustices in menstrual experiences and activism among Black people, Indigenous people, people of colour, transgender men, and nonbinary people; and the barriers that may prevent menstruators from choosing reusable products.
The first book of its kind to explore menstrual activism in Canada, Northern Blood brings together key voices to reflect the diversity of the menstrual equity movement in Canada, highlighting emerging and established scholars, grassroots activists, and political advocates.
Reviews / Votes
"A bold and necessary reckoning with the politics of menstruation in Canada - Northern Blood exposes systemic silences, challenges stigma, and celebrates the groundbreaking work of period poverty activists whose efforts have reshaped policy and public discourse. This book is both a tribute and a roadmap, offering insight and inspiration for those ready to carry the movement forward." - Nikki Hill, Period Promise"This important collection offers clear and compelling analyses of various facets of menstruation politics in Canada." - Leah Levac, University of Guelph
"Timely and welcome, Northern Blood shows convincingly how menstrual equity and justice are important sites for feminist attention and organizing." - Robyn Lee, University of Alberta
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Montreal
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
39 photos, 9 tables, colour throughout
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 159 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
653 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-2280-2722-5 (9780228027225)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Lisa Smith is a sociologist and researcher in the Department of Sociology at Douglas College.
Francesca Scala is professor of public policy in the Department of Political Science at Concordia University.
Francesca Scala is professor of public policy in the Department of Political Science at Concordia University.
Content
Figures and Tables xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction - First Blood 3
Lisa Smith and Francesca Scala
1 This Is a Movement. Period.
1
#La Vie en Rouge: Quebec Women's Health Network Menstruation Awareness Campaign 25
Victoria Doudenkova
2
Beyond the Classroom: Students as Catalysts for Menstrual Equity 44
Zeba Khan, Niki Oveisi, and Sue Lu
3
#MENSTRUATION: Instagram Users Resisting Menstrual Stigma 62
Kathleen Rodgers and Samarah Hodge
2 Politics Meets Periods
4
Framing Menstrual Equity: The Discursive Strategies of the Tampon Tax Campaign in Canada 87
Francesca Scala
5
Missing Period: A Multiple Case Study of Radical Menstrual Embodiment in Select Provincial Curricula in Canada 103
Sarah Towle
6
Towards Sustainable Menstruation: Examining the Barriers to Adopting Reusable Menstrual Products in Canada 123
Karen Farley, Maliha Tariq, and Kayleanna Giesinger
7
We Want More than Quick Fixes: A Critical Look at Product-Focused Period Poverty Campaigns and Lessons for Canada 144
Courtney Majewski and Nancy Clark
3 Menstruation Intersections
8
Pressing Periods: Catching Up on the Urgent Menstrual Needs of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Individuals in Canada 165
Elgin A. Pecjak
9
Periods In-Between? Second-Generation South Asian Menstruators Flow with Identity, Bleeding, and Belonging 182
Lisa Smith and Deyvika Srinivasa
10
Autoethnography of (Un)diagnosis: The Embodied Frictions of Endometriosis 204
Elizabeth S. Cameron
4 Periods, Power, Place
11
Bloody Burdens: Post-Secondary Students and Menstruation on Campus 225
Lisa Smith and Rim Gacimi
12
Spill It: Stories About Menstruating on Campus 246
Rebecca Day with Lisa Smith
13
"I know my body better with the utilization of this app": The Politics of Tracking Athletes' Menstrual Cycles in the Neo-Liberal Era 261
Amelie Keyser-Verreault and Debra Kriger
14
Out of Sight, out of Mind: Why Aren't Prisons Part of the Menstrual Equity Conversation in Canada? 278
Hayley Newman-Petryshen and Lisa Smith
5 Creative Knowledge Flows
15
"28 Days: Dispense with Period Poverty in Public Space. A Spoken Word Piece" 303
Gillian Anderson
16
Bleed with Me: A Filmmaking Project to Destigmatize Menstruation 325
Varsha Gill
17
In Our Own Words: A Podcast Miniseries for the Canadian Menstrual Justice Movement 343
Angelene Prakash, Jill Fellows, Diana More, Neal Adolph, Nicole White, and Lisa Smith
Conclusion 367
Francesca Scala and Lisa Smith
Contributors 375
Index 383
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction - First Blood 3
Lisa Smith and Francesca Scala
1 This Is a Movement. Period.
1
#La Vie en Rouge: Quebec Women's Health Network Menstruation Awareness Campaign 25
Victoria Doudenkova
2
Beyond the Classroom: Students as Catalysts for Menstrual Equity 44
Zeba Khan, Niki Oveisi, and Sue Lu
3
#MENSTRUATION: Instagram Users Resisting Menstrual Stigma 62
Kathleen Rodgers and Samarah Hodge
2 Politics Meets Periods
4
Framing Menstrual Equity: The Discursive Strategies of the Tampon Tax Campaign in Canada 87
Francesca Scala
5
Missing Period: A Multiple Case Study of Radical Menstrual Embodiment in Select Provincial Curricula in Canada 103
Sarah Towle
6
Towards Sustainable Menstruation: Examining the Barriers to Adopting Reusable Menstrual Products in Canada 123
Karen Farley, Maliha Tariq, and Kayleanna Giesinger
7
We Want More than Quick Fixes: A Critical Look at Product-Focused Period Poverty Campaigns and Lessons for Canada 144
Courtney Majewski and Nancy Clark
3 Menstruation Intersections
8
Pressing Periods: Catching Up on the Urgent Menstrual Needs of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Individuals in Canada 165
Elgin A. Pecjak
9
Periods In-Between? Second-Generation South Asian Menstruators Flow with Identity, Bleeding, and Belonging 182
Lisa Smith and Deyvika Srinivasa
10
Autoethnography of (Un)diagnosis: The Embodied Frictions of Endometriosis 204
Elizabeth S. Cameron
4 Periods, Power, Place
11
Bloody Burdens: Post-Secondary Students and Menstruation on Campus 225
Lisa Smith and Rim Gacimi
12
Spill It: Stories About Menstruating on Campus 246
Rebecca Day with Lisa Smith
13
"I know my body better with the utilization of this app": The Politics of Tracking Athletes' Menstrual Cycles in the Neo-Liberal Era 261
Amelie Keyser-Verreault and Debra Kriger
14
Out of Sight, out of Mind: Why Aren't Prisons Part of the Menstrual Equity Conversation in Canada? 278
Hayley Newman-Petryshen and Lisa Smith
5 Creative Knowledge Flows
15
"28 Days: Dispense with Period Poverty in Public Space. A Spoken Word Piece" 303
Gillian Anderson
16
Bleed with Me: A Filmmaking Project to Destigmatize Menstruation 325
Varsha Gill
17
In Our Own Words: A Podcast Miniseries for the Canadian Menstrual Justice Movement 343
Angelene Prakash, Jill Fellows, Diana More, Neal Adolph, Nicole White, and Lisa Smith
Conclusion 367
Francesca Scala and Lisa Smith
Contributors 375
Index 383