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Check out what some of our campus members have shared about how they connect mental health through a justice lens and the incredible work they're doing to support mental health with a social justice approach.

For more information about the resources in the video, see below:

Institute for Sexual Minority Studies & Services

Office of the Student Ombuds

Campus Food Bank

Unitea

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World Social Justice Day Workshops Series (Feb 15 - 17)

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World Social Justice Day Workshops Series (Feb 15 - 17)

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How does mental health intersect social justice, and in what ways can campus members engage in challenging injustices? Check out the Workshop series to explore these questions and more that include:

looking at how to care for multiple versions of student success

the overlooked issue of food insecurity among university students

meditating on how mental health approaches contribute to unsettling injustice and inequity

learning about the mental health experiences of Indigenous graduate students and find ways to cope shared with a post-panel Q&A.

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Territorial Acknowledgement

The University of Alberta, its buildings, labs, and research stations are primarily located on the traditional territory of Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, and Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe nations; lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6, 7, and 8 and homeland of the Métis. The University of Alberta respects the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems, and cultures of First Nations, Métis and Inuit nations.

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Territorial Acknowledgement The University of Alberta, its buildings, labs, and research stations are primarily located on the traditional territory of Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, and Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe nations; lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6, 7, and 8 and homeland of the Métis.

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I care for mental health on campus by advocating for the UofA (and other institutions) to provide free menstrual products in washrooms across campus.

Providing free period products reduces barriers to accessing essential hygiene products for people who menstruate. Free menstrual supplies can reduce the financial burden of purchasing products, as well as decrease people's anxiety about being suddenly stuck in a public washroom without access to clean, sanitary hygiene products. Providing free period products in public washrooms can also help reduce the stigma that continues to surround menstruation, even though it is a biological process that roughly half of the world's population undergoes about once a month.

Access to menstrual products should be no different than providing toilet paper in public washrooms - both are essential hygiene products that institutions should provide for free. Have you ever needed to bring or buy your own toilet paper in a public washroom at the UofA? It's a ridiculous thought!

Many people who menstruate must regularly miss work or school when they do not have dependable access to menstrual hygiene products, which can exacerbate existing barriers to gender equality. Furthermore, period poverty disproportionately affects people who experience multiple or intersecting layers of oppression (e.g., people who also experience racism, transphobia, ableism, etc.).

Therefore, advocating for institutions and governments to provide funding and access to free menstrual hygiene products is an important part of supporting the mental health and overall well-being of many people who menstruate. To learn more, check out the references below!

TL;DR: Ending period poverty by advocating for change at an institutional and policy level supports the mental health and holistic wellness of people who menstruate, by reducing the financial burden, anxiety, stigma, and poor attendance at work and school events that many people experience due to a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products.

P.S. Check out the free menstrual hygiene product dispenser in the lower level of SUB! Do you know of anywhere else where you can find free period products on campus? Where else would you like to see free menstrual products available at the UofA?

Image Description: An image showing a tampon, a panty liner, a menstrual cup, and a menstrual pad silhouetted in white against a blue, teal, salmon, and grey background, respectively.

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I really appreciate the questions, sharing an dialogue in Tim Ira's session. It helped to to broaden how I think about social justice beyond a technical term and gave me more space to reflect on how I position myself as someone who wants to ensure I'm contributing towards our community being a place where folks are being cared for. Thanks to everyone for sharing!

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Hi all,

Some things I did/do for my mental health:

-Changed my career path - I went back to school to do my Bachelor of Social Work so my values will align with my work. Caring for my community is part of my self care.

-Sometimes scrolling IG is self-care
Some social justice/self-care IG accounts I follow that help me:

@blackphysiciansofcanada
@earthsgeneralstore
@asiansformentalhealth
@mariebeech
@ig_adhdlife
@pattiegonia

-Attend talks/workshops/events - I feel uplifted and empowered when I hear from diverse speakers who I can relate to and who give me new language to express my experiences (looking forward to the World Social Justice Day workshops by Tim Ira and the Indigenous Grad Student Panel)

-Taking my dog to the park, being in nature and saying hi to fellow walkers (just enough social interaction for more introverted days)