Northern Blood

Period Politics and Activism in Canada

Lisa Smith, Francesca Scala

• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9780228027249
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Index: Social Sciences

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.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Figures and Tables
• Acknowledgments
• Half-Title Page
• Introduction – First Blood
• 1 This Is a Movement. Period.
• 2 Politics Meets Periods
• 3 Menstruation Intersections
• 4 Periods, Power, Place
• 5 Creative Knowledge Flows
• Conclusion
• Contributors
• Index