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Recognizing May 28, 2019 as Menstrual Hygiene Day and honoring No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit, Inc., a sexuality awareness non-profit organization whose mission is to decrease the silence and secrecy associated with the menstrual cycle by destigmatizing and normalizing societal behaviors, language, and attitudes related to menstruation and menstrual hygiene.
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WHEREAS, Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual international health campaign to address the widespread stigma and shame surrounding menstruation and menstrual hygiene by ensuring access to factual information thereon, addressing the negative social norms around the issue, and ensuring universal access to hygienic products; and
WHEREAS, Menstrual Hygiene Day was initiated in 2013 and is a global advocacy platform that brings together the voices and actions of non-profits, government agencies, individuals, the private sector, and the media to promote good menstrual hygiene management for all women and girls; and
WHEREAS, No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit, Inc., initiated the fight against Period Poverty in April 2016. In September 2018, the organization executed the “Period or Not Respect the Dot!,” a campaign to end Period Poverty for school-aged youth to break the silence, raise awareness, and change negative social norms around menstrual hygiene management, and to engage decision-makers to politically prioritize and catalyze action for menstrual hygiene management at the national, state, and local levels; and
WHEREAS, The widespread silence and stigma surrounding menstruation and menstrual hygiene mean that youth often lack basic information thereon, and they are excluded and stigmatized and thus prevented from realizing their full potential; and
WHEREAS, Headquartered in the City of Philadelphia in the Germantown Neighborhood, No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit, Inc., is the nation’s first sexuality awareness organization working to decrease risk in vulnerable populations through the development and implementation of sustainable programming and policies in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The reality is one out of five youth in the United States suffer from Period Poverty, which is the lack of access to menstrual supplies and factual information due to financial restraints. The lack of menstrual hygiene can lead to serious health risks and has been shown to directly affect menstruating youth’s potential to succeed in school; and
WHEREAS, Period Poverty is an educational, safety, public health, and behavioral health issue, but most importantly a basic human rights issue; and
WHEREAS, In November 2018, No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit, Inc., independently created the first comprehensive menstruation education program and the only menstrual supply bank/donation drop-off center in the City of Philadelphia for school-aged youth and their families at 7056 Germantown Avenue, Suite 205, Philadelphia, PA, 19119; and
WHEREAS, State Representative Brian Sims was the first Pennsylvania State Representative to support No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit, Inc.’s campaign to end Period Poverty. As such, the second menstrual hygiene drop-off location opened in April 2019 inside of Representative Sims’ Philadelphia District office located at 1015 Chestnut Street, Suite 1101, Philadelphia, PA 19107; and
WHEREAS, Lynette Medley, Founder and CEO of No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit Inc., and Nya McGlone, Executive Director of No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit, Inc., in collaboration with the Philadelphia Commission for Women, hosted the first “End Period Poverty” rally on May 17, 2019 at 4:30pm in front of the School District of Philadelphia’s headquarters to bring awareness to this devastating epidemic; and
WHEREAS, Councilwoman Cherelle Parker was the first City Council member to support No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit, Inc.’s leadership in the campaign to end Period Poverty in school-aged youth. As such, the first school-based menstrual hygiene bank opened on May 17, 2019 at a school in Councilwoman Parker’s 9th Council District - the Franklin S. Edmonds School; and
WHEREAS, In an effort to end Period Poverty in school-aged youth, we recognize May 28, 2019 as Menstrual Hygiene Day and in support of this year’s theme “Time For Action,” we, along with No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit, Inc., support federal legislation, H.R. 1882 - Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2019 - in particular “SEC. 2. Menstrual Hygiene Products for Students” and “SEC. 6. Menstrual Hygiene Products Covered by Medicaid”; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes May 28, 2019 as Menstrual Hygiene Day and honors No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit, Inc., a sexuality awareness non-profit organization whose mission is to decrease the silence and secrecy associated with the menstrual cycle by destigmatizing and normalizing societal behaviors, language, and attitudes related to menstruation and menstrual hygiene.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit, Inc., as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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