Feminist menstrual activism in South Korea (1999-2012)

Abstract

This study begins with questions about the politics of menstruation that have been unspoken and neglected issues in Korean feminist history. Menstruation first appeared in social discourse in Korean society, raised by a few women's groups in the midst of the new feminist movement. This study examines three activities of the movement: the "Menstruation Festival," "Pad Up-Down Campaign," and "Bloodsisters Solidarity" for evaluation as historical cases of Korean menstrual activism, 1999-2012. It considers the strategies and differences in sociocultural contexts wherein concerns about menstruation converge with the feminist agenda. Characteristics of menstrual activism in Korea surfaced in issues pertaining to women's health advocacy, Young Feminist cultural feminism, radical feminism and eco-feminism surrounding the "alternative menstrual pad" movement. These processes of the menstrual activism of grassroots women's groups are examined here and reveal that the dominance of consumerism and the androcentric, gender-discriminatory culture are related to the gender politics of menstruation in South Korea.