Abstract

Menstrual activists have long adopted an intersectional approach in their work to reduce period poverty, eradicate menstrual stigma, and educate audiences about health and sustainability. By forcing offline activities to cease, COVID-19 created unprecedented barriers for menstrual activists, including the closure of offline spaces and social distancing. Lockdown, however, provided a unique opportunity to assess the effectiveness of digital activism and created valuable knowledge that will have a long-term impact on the aims and practices of menstrual activists. Interviews conducted with 32 menstrual activists across Great Britain demonstrate that although digital technologies help to raise awareness among more privileged audiences, they are less effective for conducting intersectional activism that supports communities who are disadvantaged by factors such as race, class, or disability. Furthermore, as activists often focus on the material needs of menstruating women and people, relying solely on digital communication considerably reduces the effectiveness of their work.

摘要

月经活动人士长期以来一直在工作中采取跨部门的方法，以减少经期贫困、消除月经耻辱，并教育受众有关健康和可持续发展的知识。COVID-19 迫使线下活动停止，为月经活动人士设置了前所未有的障碍，包括关闭线下空间和保持社交距离。然而，封锁提供了一个独特的机会来评估数字行动主义的有效性，并创造了宝贵的知识，这些知识将对月经活动家的目标和实践产生长期影响。对英国 32 名月经活动人士进行的采访表明，尽管数字技术有助于提高特权群体的意识，它们在支持因种族、阶级或残疾等因素而处于不利地位的社区的跨部门行动方面效果较差。此外，由于活动家经常关注经期妇女和人们的物质需求，仅仅依靠数字通信会大大降低他们工作的效率。