Blair Jenna

In her 2015 Glamour Women of the Year speech, Witherspoon mentions how common it is in many films to hear a woman ask a man: “What do we do now?” when most women are problem solvers, providing solutions and supporting others (especially in a crisis)! Big Little Lies‘ first season was nominated for 16 Primetime Emmy Awards and won 8 in 2017, including Outstanding Limited Series. I was in the…

WHO is Effected by Rheumatic Heart Disease?

South African Heart Association logo.

With the #TimeToTackleRHD campaign finally acknowledged in 2017, resulting in, on 01 June 2017 in Geneva, the Executive Board of the World Health Organization recommending that a “Resolution on ‘Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease’” be adopted at the 2018 World Health Assembly. On 6 June 2017 the South African Heart Association released a statement…

Veganism Part Two: Chloe Kingdom

by Blair Inglis

Before answering the questions, Chloe stated the clear difference between a plant based eater/diet (derived solely from plants) but which can still make use of products with animal byproducts in the manufacturing process. A vegan cuts out any and all animal byproducts in any items or goods purchased and used.

Chloe’s favourite smoothie bowl: “Acacia,” from Nourish’d Café & Juicery.

Meghan and Media Representation of the ‘Other’

Meghan Markle, in the featured photo of her self-written article “Meghan Markle: I’m More Than An ‘Other’”, published in Elle online edition.

Meghan ushers in an era of change. As a biracial feminist her royal title and platform of privilege, places her in an influential position of positive change.

 In July of 2015, Meghan’s self-written article, titled “Meghan Markle: I’m More Than An ‘Other’”…

Why Media Representations of Mental Health Are Important

13 Reasons Why season 2 poster, tweeted by actor Dylan Minnette.

With the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” returning for a second season this Friday on the 18th May, it’s important to discuss the topic of mental health. The series is based on the book of the same title by Jay Asher. After releasing a follow-up, 30 minute, mini-documentary “Beyond the Reasons” which provides comprehension into the…

We All Have a Heart

The main entrance to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.

It is a gusty autumn day in Cape Town, South Africa and the clouds loom, threatening to downpour over the suburb Rondebosch. The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (yes; War Memorial is part of its official name) stands strong and fresh with a recent outer coating of paint. This hospital complex not only treats patients;…

Many women experience or witness either a member of the opposite sex, colleague, family members or strangers, be condescending or discriminatory towards menstruation. Andrea, aged 19, had an ex-boyfriend who saw menstruation as a “taboo subject,” and her sister’s current boyfriend will not touch and shall run away from a “perfectly clean and unopened pad or tampon” because he finds them “gross”. Melina, 20, describes how she changed one of her male friend’s minds about periods being “super gross,” and he now understands that it’s something “really kind of normal,” which he didn’t think before. All interviewees expressed that menstruation is seen as a “taboo” topic and something which is impolite or ‘gross’ to talk about.

All respondents stated that as menstruation is a biological norm and bodily function, one cannot refrain from bleeding monthly, but that sex is something from which one can actively refrain. While it was acknowledged that having condoms freely available is a good initiative for practicing safe-sex, the biological urgency of periods demands a need for equally free and available sanitary items. One does not have the ‘luxury’ of refraining from menstruation.

A free condom dispenser in a women’s bathroom on UCT Main campus.

A sanitary item dispenser, in a women’s bathroom on UCT Main campus, which reads “Here to Help. R5 for Two Tampons.”

Above Left: a free condom dispenser in a women’s bathroom on UCT Main campus. Above Right: a sanitary item dispenser, in a women’s bathroom on UCT Main campus, which reads “Here to Help. R5 for Two Tampons.”

Andrea quipped that it’s something which “anyone with a working uterus will go through,” and that it is unfair to be taxed “for being born in a certain way.” She recognises the expense of such needed items is costly for underprivileged women, thus affecting their productivity each month. Due to the hushed attitude around menstruation, this unjust cost is “a huge tragedy that is normalised in our society,” because many are ashamed to speak-up about it. Melina calls-out consumerism for making sanitary items “something that is needed,” a consumer based good. Echoing Andrea’s thoughts, Melina elaborates how lower income brackets of South Africa “can’t afford sanitary pads and tampons,” meaning that many “girls pretend to be sick and stay home,” each month as without sanitary items “they are going to be sitting in a pool of their own blood.” Melina’s imagery effectively depicts the poor hygiene which many suffer through. She suggests the less wasteful solution of “distributing menstrual cups,” which in the long run, will be far cheaper.

In various cultures there are stigmas, which exist, around menstruation and female reproduction and hygiene. Andrea expresses that being born into a Christian household and “raised to an extent, Catholic,” she doesn’t feel comfortable sharing information about her sexual life with family or friends. She “could be ostracised,” if they knew that she wasn’t a virgin. In her household you don’t hear “Oh I’m on my period!” shouted across the dinner table. Andrea wishes this was the norm, rather than periods being perceived as a “gross secret,” that occurs monthly. Badriya, who is from an Islamic family, explained that in her religion, “menstrual blood is seen as spiritually unclean,” due to this, during menstruation, women “can’t touch or read the Quran. They can’t fast or read the daily prayer,” are excluded from certain practices. Once a woman’s menstruation has ended she “must perform ablution of her entire body,” in order to be cleansed.

Is South Africa’s sexual education and awareness (at senior school level) of women’s reproductive health, sufficient? Andrea concedes that the standard of sexual education is “grossly insufficient,” and feels that “matric level biology needs to be taught to all students in grade eight and nine, to both sexes,” for high-schoolers to be aware of female reproductive health. She believes that both teenage boys and girls need to be educated in order to communicate and become aware of the discrimination around the female reproductive system. She encourages conversation around how lack of access to sanitary items “to girls who need them in low income homes,” hinders the lives of the poor. Badriya recalls that during senior school, teachers would excuse boys from assembly in order to talk to girls privately about “female hygiene and awareness,” and feels that this omission from boys’ sexual education “added to the idea of menstruation being a taboo topic.” Badriya expresses that more “emphasis needs to be placed on the normality of sexual/reproductive health,” and that both sexes need to have equal forms of education on the subject.

An unopened pack of sanitary items is, compiled of cotton and similar materials, therefore, fundamentally the same as an unopened box of tissues. Boys, out of respect for us women, who usually have tissues if you need, could we reach a stage where if one of your friend’s needs a sanitary item, you’d be able to give her one?

  Disclaimer: all respondents are over the age of eighteen and consented to being interviewed.

Many women experience or witness either a member of the opposite sex, colleague, family members or strangers, be condescending or discriminatory towards menstruation. Andrea, aged 19, had an ex-boyfriend who saw menstruation as a “taboo subject,” and her sister’s current boyfriend will not touch and shall run away from a “perfectly clean and unopened pad or tampon” because he finds them “gross”. Melina, 20, describes how she changed one of her male friend’s minds about periods being “super gross,” and he now understands that it’s something “really kind of normal,” which he didn’t think before. All interviewees expressed that menstruation is seen as a “taboo” topic and something which is impolite or ‘gross’ to talk about.

All respondents stated that as menstruation is a biological norm and bodily function, one cannot refrain from bleeding monthly, but that sex is something from which one can actively refrain. While it was acknowledged that having condoms freely available is a good initiative for practicing safe-sex, the biological urgency of periods demands a need for equally free and available sanitary items. One does not have the ‘luxury’ of refraining from menstruation.

A free condom dispenser in a women’s bathroom on UCT Main campus.

A sanitary item dispenser, in a women’s bathroom on UCT Main campus, which reads “Here to Help. R5 for Two Tampons.”

Above Left: a free condom dispenser in a women’s bathroom on UCT Main campus. Above Right: a sanitary item dispenser, in a women’s bathroom on UCT Main campus, which reads “Here to Help. R5 for Two Tampons.”

Andrea quipped that it’s something which “anyone with a working uterus will go through,” and that it is unfair to be taxed “for being born in a certain way.” She recognises the expense of such needed items is costly for underprivileged women, thus affecting their productivity each month. Due to the hushed attitude around menstruation, this unjust cost is “a huge tragedy that is normalised in our society,” because many are ashamed to speak-up about it. Melina calls-out consumerism for making sanitary items “something that is needed,” a consumer based good. Echoing Andrea’s thoughts, Melina elaborates how lower income brackets of South Africa “can’t afford sanitary pads and tampons,” meaning that many “girls pretend to be sick and stay home,” each month as without sanitary items “they are going to be sitting in a pool of their own blood.” Melina’s imagery effectively depicts the poor hygiene which many suffer through. She suggests the less wasteful solution of “distributing menstrual cups,” which in the long run, will be far cheaper.

In various cultures there are stigmas, which exist, around menstruation and female reproduction and hygiene. Andrea expresses that being born into a Christian household and “raised to an extent, Catholic,” she doesn’t feel comfortable sharing information about her sexual life with family or friends. She “could be ostracised,” if they knew that she wasn’t a virgin. In her household you don’t hear “Oh I’m on my period!” shouted across the dinner table. Andrea wishes this was the norm, rather than periods being perceived as a “gross secret,” that occurs monthly. Badriya, who is from an Islamic family, explained that in her religion, “menstrual blood is seen as spiritually unclean,” due to this, during menstruation, women “can’t touch or read the Quran. They can’t fast or read the daily prayer,” are excluded from certain practices. Once a woman’s menstruation has ended she “must perform ablution of her entire body,” in order to be cleansed.

Is South Africa’s sexual education and awareness (at senior school level) of women’s reproductive health, sufficient? Andrea concedes that the standard of sexual education is “grossly insufficient,” and feels that “matric level biology needs to be taught to all students in grade eight and nine, to both sexes,” for high-schoolers to be aware of female reproductive health. She believes that both teenage boys and girls need to be educated in order to communicate and become aware of the discrimination around the female reproductive system. She encourages conversation around how lack of access to sanitary items “to girls who need them in low income homes,” hinders the lives of the poor. Badriya recalls that during senior school, teachers would excuse boys from assembly in order to talk to girls privately about “female hygiene and awareness,” and feels that this omission from boys’ sexual education “added to the idea of menstruation being a taboo topic.” Badriya expresses that more “emphasis needs to be placed on the normality of sexual/reproductive health,” and that both sexes need to have equal forms of education on the subject.

An unopened pack of sanitary items is, compiled of cotton and similar materials, therefore, fundamentally the same as an unopened box of tissues. Boys, out of respect for us women, who usually have tissues if you need, could we reach a stage where if one of your friend’s needs a sanitary item, you’d be able to give her one?

Disclaimer: all respondents are over the age of eighteen and consented to being interviewed.

It Takes All Kinds to Make a World

Thoughts which I expressed in 2013, for an English oral, that are still quite relevant. Idiom: It takes all kinds to make a world. Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike. The origin of the idiom is unclear but it was derived from the Spanish saying: de todo ha de haber en el mundo. Literally meaning “There must be of all types in the world.” It was coined by…

Simply the Thing I Am, Shall Make Me Live

For the second time during my educational career, this title is the overarching theme for my upcoming drama practical. It is quite a statement to grapple with. Simply the fact that one is alive means that you “are”, you exist. So it was, that my fourteen year old self sat and contemplated that this statement meant: In order for one to “live”, to feel alive, we must reach past a cycle of merely…