Happy International Women’s Day to you!

The campaign theme for International Women's Day this year is Balance for Better.
And I’m hoping to spread the message of Period Positivity.

‘We are entering an exciting period of history where the world expects balance.
We notice its absence and celebrate its presence.

Balance is not a women's issue, it's a business issue.
The race is on for the gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth, gender-balanced sports coverage ...
Gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive.’

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women - while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance.
                                                                                                                                                      
https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme

Part of striving for and creating Balance for Better, for women and the world, is acknowledging and understanding the unique health issues and physiology we have as women.

We are hormonal and cyclical beings.

Once puberty kicks in, our hormones ebb and change over the course each of our menstrual cycles. And we’re all along for the ride.

Perimenopause signifies another shift, and reminds us again of the undeniable power that our hormones have on our bodies.

Oestrogen and progesterone are secreted in varying amounts every day. And these hormones have a complex relationship with other hormones and neurotransmitters. They affect not only our reproductive system, but also our brain, mood & sense of wellbeing, cardiovascular system, skeletal system and more.

But our bodies and our hormones don’t need to be controlled.
It’s all about balance, balance, balance.

We menstruate, we cramp*, we experience cyclical high energy alternating with introspection.

We have the potential to grow whole new people inside our bodies for heaven sakes!

And yet, in 2019, there is still a stigma around our periods, and the view that any influence our hormones have on our mood and bodies, should be kept quiet, reined in, or even joked about.
But why?

‘Hormonal’ women in your family, in your community, around the globe, and through history, have done and do ah-ma-zing things every single day!

Menstrual-health and cycle-health education are fundamental if we are going to see a societal shift in the way menstruation and our hormonal changes, are viewed.

For girls and boys in school.
For women and men. For workplaces and sports spaces.
For nations. Seriously.

The 2019 IWD Balance for Better campaign runs all year long. It doesn't end on International Women's Day, and I’ll be sending you periodic (pun intended!) messages throughout the year, about how to balance your body, your plate and your day.

So many of you come to me with incredible stories of courage, faith and, grit,
and you inspire me every day.
Happy International Women's Day.

Yours in period positivity
Jacintha x

Some food for thought...
- How might ‘Period Leave’ in the workplace normalise menstruation?
- A Celebration Day for Girls, A workshop for girls aged 10-12, to explore and celebrate their first period

*It shouldn’t be that way though…come and see me!