Students at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School (CVR) learned about menstrual health and precarity during the school’s first “Semaine Rouge” from April 13-17.
The week included many activities like raffles, period kit workshops with members of the Haut-Saint-Laurent chapter of Days for Girls, as well as presentations by the Montreal group Monthly Dignity, an open-door with the school nurse, and a Kahoot game to end the week with prizes.
“I think for a first year, it went super well,” said Coralie Beghuin, the Culture and Citizenship in Québec (CCQ) and secondary English Language Arts (ELA) consultant, who was surprised by the students’ interest in the subject. “I was expecting students to be more shy or completely disengaged, but any events that took place in the lobby or cafeteria were very well attended,” she added.
Beghuin said it was Teresa Groenewegen-Caza, who founded the local Days for Girls group, who first approached her about organizing the week. “I knew right away that it was important to bring awareness to this topic with the intent of reducing stigma,” she explained.
According to statistics, one in seven students who menstruate have had to miss school at some point or another, often because they lack access to menstrual products. “We are really lucky at CVR that students can have access to these products, but I think sometimes students are not aware where they can get these for free. Building awareness, reducing stigma, and normalizing the conversation are key,” said Beghuin.
The La Bouffe Additionnelle food pantry and the Montérégie West Community Network have both provided menstrual products that students can access at any time.
As part of a youth mental health initiative, the MWCN also provided the funding to buy a wardrobe now installed in the nurse’s office with clothing so students can access clothing, whether it is a menstrual emergency or any other kind.
Days for Girls has also been at CVR for two years and has provided numerous students with reusable kits.
“That first step makes a difference,” said Groenewegen-Caza, of the school’s initiative. She led a Days for Girls workshop one lunch hour, where around 20 students helped put together reusable menstrual kits that could be distributed locally or internationally, while a few students also helped to sew reusable pads.
“I think it is really important,” said one student in Grade 9 about the weeklong event. “It adds awareness to the cause. There is already less known about women’s health, and I think people assume that if you are a man, that you don’t have to learn about it,” she said, while suggesting it is something everyone should learn about.
“It is educational and good for people who don’t have a mom or parents in general who can really explain about this,” said another Grade 9 student. “It is your body, and it is important to know about your heath,” she added.
“Normalizing a topic and reducing stigma takes years and happens slowly over time. Therefore, it will be important to continuously have these conversations,” said Ms. Beghuin. “The more students ‘see’ this topic and hear about it, the more it will become normal.”
*This article was written with help from Grade 9 students at CVR as part of a partnership between the New Frontiers School Board and The Gleaner, with support from the federal government.