She Stands in Red Shorts

Two years ago, I signed up to represent the delegate of Ghana in a committee of a Model United Nations (MUN) conference. The topic of debate was one I had never heard of before: menstrual poverty. In the weeks leading up to the conference, I spent hours researching about what menstrual poverty was and how it was relevant to the country of Ghana. During my research, I became fascinated with the topic; how come I had never heard of this worldwide issue that affects millions of women worldwide? After the conference, I spent additional hours trying to learn more about menstrual poverty. Over the course of the summer, I realized that menstrual poverty not only affects women in developing countries, but also burdens females living just miles away from me in Washington. I further learned about menstrual stigmas and how they can severely damage a woman’s mental health and ability to gain equal opportunities as those who do not have periods. My research and experience surrounding menstrual poverty inspired me to create “She Stands in Red Shorts”. My mother and I have a couple pairs of bright red shorts reserved for when we are menstruating. I wanted to show that the female in my work is menstruating, so I drew her in red shorts. I made it the only object in color, using colored pencils, so that the red shorts became the center of the piece. The girl is depicted standing in an open plaza based off a local mall. I placed the girl in this setting to depict the presence of menstrual poverty and stigma in all places—even in local cities. The natural darkness of charcoal made the background quite bleak. This darkness signifies the forces preventing women from reaching their freedom and goals. However, though there are many factors that contribute to inequality and there are many obstacles females may face, I wanted my piece to show that it is possible to overcome these barriers if they have pride in their identity. The girl has her legs shoulder-width apart in a steady stance, and her right hand is hooked onto her shorts, illustrating her confidence and strength. She is ready to walk into the darkness for she is proud that she menstruates, proud that she is a female. I hope all women find this pride too