Episode 037: Breaking Down ”The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies” with Inga Winkler

Inga Winkler a university professor and researcher who specializes in the intersection of menstruation, gender justice and human rights. She is a co-contributor to the Palgrave Handbook on Menstruation Studies: a field-defining resource that examines

In this episode, Inga walks us through concepts from the Palgrave Handbook; unpacks the relationship between power dynamics and menstruation; shares menstrual health policy insights from around the world; dives into the importance of intersectionality in conversations about menstruation; and so much more.

Highlights:

• All about the Palgrave Handbook on Critical Menstruation Studies, including its purpose and Inga’s personal contribution to the literature
• The impact of menstrual inequity on human rights and power relations (it’s “about so much more than just the just the biological process, just the bleeding”)
• What Inga means by, “menstruation unites the personal and the political, the intimate and the public, and the physiological and the socio-cultural”
• Why we must prioritize the intersectional, context-dependent, lived experiences of menstruators when talking about menstruation
• Why bringing the personal/intimate elements of menstruation into the public/political space is key to shattering the stigma
• How the singular narrative of menstrual oppression can erase the agency of women and girls in cultures around the world – and why it’s essential to consider sociocultural/religious nuance in conversations about menstruation 
• How menstrual policies and media representation have evolved over the past decade
• Insights from analysis of menstrual policies in Kenya, India, Senegal and the U.S.
• Why policymakers need to transcend their narrow scope of understanding about menstrual health education (and their own ingrained stigma) to truly eliminate menstrual inequity for all
• What the Palgrave Handbook can offer you, the listener

Connect:

Handbook: PDF link here

Website: www.ingawinkler.com

Twitter: @Inga_Winkler

Bio:

Inga Winkler is an Associate Professor in International Human Rights Law at the Central European University in Vienna, Austria. She is also the director of The Working Group on Menstrual Health and Gender Justice at Columbia University. Her research focuses on socioeconomic rights and gender justice with a particular interest in the intersection of menstruation, culture and representation. Her research builds on her extensive experience in the UN system, and she seeks to engage with policymakers on menstrual health. In today's episode, we'll be talking about her contributions to the Palgrave Handbook on Critical Menstruation Studies.

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