Mai Movement Hawaii Inc

SINCE OUR INCEPTION IN 2020, MA'I MOVEMENT HAWAI'I HAS SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A TRUSTED PROVIDER IN THE COMMUNITY. NO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE SINGULARLY FOCUSED ON TACKLING PERIOD POVERTY AND MENSTRUAL INEQUITY THROUGH A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, ADVOCACY, AND LOCAL-BASED EDUCATION. MA'I MOVEMENT HAWAI'I IS A LOCALLY GROWN GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION AND 501(C)3 NONPROFIT FOUNDED BY NATIVE HAWAIIAN SISTERS, BRANDY-LEE YEE, NIKKI-ANN YEE, AND JAMIE-LEE KAPANA IN OCTOBER 202.WE AT MA'I MOVEMENT HAWAI'I BELIEVE IT IS OUR KULEANA, OR RESPONSIBILITY, TO ENSURE ALL INDIVIDUALS OF MENSTRUATION AGE HAVE ACCESS TO SANITARY PRODUCTS, SAFE AND HYGIENIC PLACES TO USE THEM, AND THE RIGHT TO MANAGE THEIR BODIES WITHOUT SHAME OR STIGMA. MA'I MOVEMENT IS NOT SIMPLY ABOUT PROVIDING PRODUCTS, BUT IT INTERSECTS OUR ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION EFFORTS IN EVERY PROGRAM WE RUN TO GUARANTEE SYSTEMIC CHANGE FOR A RADICALLY IMPROVED FUTURE FOR GIRLS, WOMEN, AND PEOPLE WHO MENSTRUATE. MOREOVER, BEING A NATIVE HAWAIIAN, WOMEN-LED ORGANIZATION, MA'I MOVEMENT IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO MENSTRUAL EQUITY BECAUSE OF OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH MENSTRUATION AND OUR HERITAGE. MENSTRUATION AND PERIOD POVERTY IS STILL NOT WIDELY VIEWED AS A CRITICAL ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IN COMPARISON TO HOUSING OR FOOD INSECURITY, BUT WE ARE STILL WORKING TO CHANGE THAT. THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION REMAINS BLEAK FOR A MAJORITY OF LOCAL HOUSEHOLDS, AND HAS ONLY EXACERBATED SOCIAL, RACIAL, GENDER, AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES THAT EXISTED. MOREOVER, THE GROWING HOSTILITY TOWARDS REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS MAKES OUR WORK MORE CRITICAL THAN EVER. NOT ONLY ARE WE TAKING DOWN ACCESS, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL BARRIERS AROUND MENSTRUATION, BUT WE ARE EMPOWERING A GENERATION TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITY. THERE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE GROWTH IN OUR STATEWIDE DISTRIBUTION. IN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020, WE DISTRIBUTED 23,900 DISPOSABLE PERIOD PRODUCTS. IN OUR FIRST FULL YEAR OF DISTRIBUTION IN 2021, WE SENT OUT 226,204 DISPOSABLE AND REUSABLE PERIOD PRODUCTS. THE NUMBER OF PRODUCTS SENT OUT STATEWIDE INCREASED BY 60% IN 2022 WITH A DISTRIBUTION OF 362,800 DISPOSABLE AND REUSABLE PERIOD PRODUCTS. ALTHOUGH WE PRIMARILY DISTRIBUTE DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS, OUR SUSTAINABLE MA'I PROGRAM HAS ALSO GROWN STEADILY SINCE WE PILOTED THE PROGRAM, WHICH WAS FUNDED BY HPF IN 2021. WE GAVE OUT 510 CLOTH PADS, PERIOD UNDERWEAR, AND MENSTRUAL CUPS IN 2021 AND 731 IN 2022. THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO NOT ONLY PROVIDE REUSABLE PERIOD PRODUCTS TO ADDRESS THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS OF USING DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS, BUT ALSO ADDRESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF MOVING TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE MENSTRUAL MANAGEMENT WHEN POSSIBLE. TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY EDUCATIONAL BARRIERS OR GAPS, WE CREATED GENDER-INCLUSIVE AND LOCALLY INSPIRED MENSTRUATION AND MENSTRUAL MANAGEMENT EDUCATION WITH A SELECT GROUP OF LOCAL ARTISTS, PHYSICIANS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE DELIVER OUR EDUCATION THROUGH ONLINE WEBINARS, IN-PERSON TRAINING, TRAIN-THE-TRAINER SESSIONS, AND BOOKLETS. IN THE 2021 AND 2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE FOCUSED ON THE STUDENTS WHO MENSTRUATE IN OUR HAWAI'I PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE LAUNCHED THE HO'OHANOHANO INITIATIVE, A PILOT PROJECT TO ADDRESS MENSTRUAL INEQUITY BY DISTRIBUTING AND TRACKING PERIOD PRODUCTS TO STUDENTS IN LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE 2021-22 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR. AS A DIRECT RESULT FROM THE DATA GATHERED IN THE PILOT, WE HELPED WRITE LEGISLATION (SB2821), HAD LEGISLATION INTRODUCED, AND SB2821 WAS ENACTED INTO LAW, WHICH MADE FREE PERIOD PRODUCTS IN HAWAI'I PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM JULY 2022. WE WERE ALSO SUCCESSFUL IN GUARANTEEING $2 MILLION IN THE STATE BUDGET TO ENSURE THE MANDATE IS FUNDED EVERY YEAR. THROUGH OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS, WE CONTINUE TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT AND ADVOCATE FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE AROUND MENSTRUAL EQUITY. IN THE 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE INTRODUCED BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS TO MAKE PERIOD PRODUCTS FREE AND AVAILABLE IN STATE BUILDINGS AND ON ALL UNIVERSITIES, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND EDUCATION CENTERS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I SYSTEM. TWO RESOLUTIONS (SR23 / SR78) PASSED AS OF THIS WRITING. IN OUR EFFORTS TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND COALITIONS AROUND OUR LEGISLATIVE WORK, WE CONTINUE TO TEACH STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS HOW TO LOBBY AND ADVOCATE FOR THE PASSAGE OF BILLS TO ADDRESS PERIOD POVERTY THROUGH INFOGRAPHICS, BROCHURES, MA'I ADVOCACY TOOLKIT, SCHOOL VISITS AND ZOOM SESSIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND MORE. FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED WORK, WE RECEIVED RECOGNITION AND AWARDS FOR HSTA 2022 FRIEND OF YOUTH AWARD AND HCAN CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDREN 2022 INNOVATOR AWARD. WE HAVE ALSO RUN A STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN, MALAMA YOUR MA'I, TO RAISE DONATIONS AND RECOGNIZE PERIOD POVERTY AWARENESS WEEK IN MAY FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. IN ADDITION TO THE SERVICE ASPECT OF THE CAMPAIGN, WE RAN DISTRIBUTIONS ON EVERY SINGLE ISLAND AND GOT PROCLAMATIONS FROM ALL COUNTY MAYORS AND THE GOVERNOR. THIS YEAR, WE ARE PLANNING OUR FIRST IN-PERSON FUNDRAISER DURING PERIOD POVERTY AWARENESS WEEK AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR LUKE WILL BE PRESENTING THE PROCLAMATION AND GIVING OPENING REMARKS. THE PROCLAMATIONS ARE INCREDIBLY SIGNIFICANT, ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S TIMES WHEN REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ARE UNDER ASSAULT. IT MARKS A COMMITMENT TO MENSTRUAL HEALTH, SO GIRLS, WOMEN AND PEOPLE WHO MENSTRUATE CAN TRULY THRIVE. LASTLY, LOCAL RESEARCH IS CRITICAL TO OUR WORK BECAUSE THE DATA DOESN'T EXIST AND IT INFORMS US ON HOW WE SHAPE OUR PROGRAMS, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY. IN 2021, WE CO-AUTHORED THE FIRST GOVERNMENT REPORT ON MENSTRUATION, UNDERSTANDING PERIOD POVERTY IN HAWAI'I, WITH THE HAWAI'I STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN. THIS REPORT WAS A TIPPING POINT IN OUR MOVEMENT BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST REPORT OF ITS KIND TO FRAME THE ISSUE AND HELPED US SHAPE FUTURE LEGISLATIVE AND MENSTRUAL EQUITY POLICIES. WE CONTINUE TO USE THE REPORT TO FURTHER SYSTEMIC CHANGE AND HAVE ALSO LEARNED FROM STUDENTS, ADMINISTRATORS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT THE REPORT HAS ASSISTED THEM IN WAYS LIKE SECURING GRANTS TO FUND PERIOD PRODUCTS IN THEIR OWN INSTITUTIONS. THIS YEAR, WE PARTNERED WITH DR. JHUMKA GUPTA OF GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY TO CONTEXTUALIZE MENSTRUATION ON UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I CAMPUSES. WE HOPE TO USE THE DATA TO FURTHER SYSTEMIC CHANGE, AND ALSO PUBLISH NATIONALLY TO UPLIFT THE WORK BEING DONE IN OUR STATE.