Mariposa Moon helping fight ‘period poverty’ in SVG

Statistics from the World Bank indicate that across the world, as many as 500 million women lack access to basic menstrual products and hygienic bathroom facilities for use during their menstrual cycles.

This is known as “period poverty” and is often overlooked in many countries.

And, in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), because “period poverty” is hardly ever spoken about it does not negate the fact that the same problem exists locally and results in hundreds of young girls and women lacking the financial means to obtain menstrual products.

This means that when many students are experiencing their menstrual cycle, they are unable to attend school.

So, with this in mind, local visual artist, Caroline ‘Booops’ Sardine has embarked on an initiative which she calls “Mariposa Moon”, aimed at addressing the lack of accessibility of menstrual products which is sometimes coupled with cultural stigma and other social factors.

Mariposa Moon is one year old, founded on October 11, 2023 after Sardine had a conversation with one of her friends in Grenada about period poverty. It has for the last year provided over 40,000 period products to females in SVG.

“It is a global crisis so after speaking with my friend, I just thought, ‘this is something that I can do’…

“I was between jobs and felt I had no purpose, and I was down about it and after the conversation I was like ‘I’m going to buy three cases of pads’…,” Sardine said.

“I first reached out to the School for Children with Special Needs and the response was tremendous,” she told SEARCHLIGHT on Thursday, November 7, 2024 during an interview at the Curator’s House in the Botanic Gardens.

She explained that little by little she reached out to primary schools and at first teachers and principals were “hush hush”.

“…but now everybody is grateful when they see Mariposa Moon.

“We have 71 primary schools in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and we are hoping to make it an official Non-Governmental Organisation because the plan is to reach all 71 primary schools,” Sardine explained. She said that Mariposa Moon is funded through the sale of her art and the “generous” contributions from “period heroes” all over the world.

“We give period products to girls in primary school between the ages eight to 12, because we kind of realise that age is often overlooked because we forget that young girls can get their period.

“We believe that from right now, if we give them the products so that they will not have to miss school, that is number one. In the near future we want to start talking to them because if you can get girls at that tender age to respect and love their bodies, there is no limitations on the world for women,” Sardine said further.

“It is unfortunate that in 2024 people still think period is dirty and full of shame and stigma but without a period, none of us would be on God’s earth,” she stressed.

The artist added that buying period products can put a serious financial strain on some families, especially those with several females.

“It’s a problem because the prices just gone up on pads. There are different brands of pads, ranging from five dollars to 35 dollars. It’s hard and if you have five females in your home, every month it adds up. Its tremendous when you really study it,” Sardine pointed out.

“The support has been humbling and we are just grateful for all the period heroes. Thank you from my heart,” she said.

Mariposa Moon is also supported by Vincentian fashion designer, Jeremy Payne.