Go behind the scenes with Days for Girls International, an award-winning NGO, as we interview thought leaders in international development who work to empower women and girls around the world. You’ll hear from experts in the fields of menstrual health, social entrepreneurship, and international development, as well as get inside stories from the women and girls impacted by our vital work to create menstrual equity for every girl, everywhere, period. Visit daysforgirls.org to learn more about Days for Girls International.
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episode 21: Episode 021: Menstrual Equity in Tribal Nations with Eva Marie Carney
Eva Marie Carney is Founder and Board President of the Kwek Society: an organization working to eliminate period poverty in Native schools and communities across the United States. She is a human rights lawyer and an elected legislator of the Shawnee, Oklahoma-based Citizen Potawatomi Nation – of which is also a citizen.
In this episode, Eva dives into her passion for fighting (and shining a light on) menstrual inequities in tribal nations; how the Kwek Society is serving rural, pubescent and un-homed menstruators; and all about the organization’s evolving impact in schools and communities across the country.
Highlights:
- What inspired Eva to become a menstrual equity champion within the Native American community
- The unique and universal factors driving period poverty for Native American menstruators – including financial and resource barriers in rural reservations and lack of free products in schools
- How the Kwek Society is fighting period poverty in Native-majority schools and communities across statelines
- The importance of reaching communities in isolated, hard-to-access areas
- All about the “Berry Fast,” an Ojibwe/Potawatomi tradition that celebrates the beginning of a girl’s menstruation
- How Eva’s role as an elected legislator for the Potawatomi Nation has shaped the Kwek Society’s impact and reach
Connect:
Website: kweksociety.org
Instagram: @kweksociety
Twitter: @kweksociety
Email: kweksociety@gmail.com
Bio:
Eva Marie Carney is The Kwek Society’s Founder and Board President. She holds elected office as a Member of the Legislature of the Shawnee, Oklahoma-based Citizen Potawatomi Nation and works as a human rights lawyer through Just Neighbors, a nonprofit law firm. Eva is a citizen of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and lives in Virginia. She graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BA in history, and received her JD from Stanford Law School. Her two adult children actively support The Kwek Society and their dog Bailey serves as the organization’s Chief of Morale.
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