Poetry events:
On Women’s Day (March 8, 2022), five guest poets from the collection read their poems and explained what inspired them to write. Watch the recording here.
On Human Rights Day (December 10, 2021), members of the selection committee and three guest poets from the call for poetry shared their poems in a launch event for the collection. Watch the recording here.
Poems included in the collection:
Wellbeing
by Alice d’Aboville
Why can’t it just be okay
by Aliye Runyan
Every other night
by Amma Cynthia Nalumansi
The curtain call
by Anna Stoecklein Lau
Rebel blood
by Andrea Aguilar Ferro
Women
by Andrea Ek
The trials and tribulations of Amina
by Busingye Etresa Martina
Forgive me, Father
by Carmen Barroso
OV, you said?
by Céline Miani
I am mine
by Darlin Tessah
UNFPA ‘Strategic Plan’
by Dawn Minott and David Sunderland
My stained skirt
by Deeksha Sharma
This voice
by Doreen Birungi
For the women who came before us
by Elizabeth Wright Veintimilla
The Bloody Letter
by Eun Joo Lee
Period Pain.
by Francis Muzofa
My word should be enough
by Gladwell Muthoni
Calling from the cracks
by Gunjan Chandhok
Freedom + love
by Haiber Andrés Lagos Lemus
Silence
by Hope Netshivhambe
Re-awakening the Shrinking Blossom
by Ikenna Nwakamma
Sleepless crying
by Isabella Herrera Gonzalez
Is it worth the wait?
by Jaine Kimu
Transcendence/Trans·sans·dance
by Jamela Law
Infertile
by Jennifer Blake
A Death in the Village
by Jennifer Neczypor
Helen’s Choice
by Jenny Sherman
This poem is like me
by Jimena Cascante Matamoros
After the Gag
by Juleini Vivien I. Nicdao
Three Ululations
by Just a Poet
The menstrual elf
by Kathryn Anne Hart
Flora
by Kristine Shields
Call It by its Name
by Laura Warner
Taking a risk
by LeConté Dill
Outside my story
by Lianne Holten & Rosalie van der Wolf
Chambers
by Lobina Kaniz Kalam
My body is my soul
by Mahamuda Rahman
My blood
by Margot Dupé
The Feast
by Marzieh Ghiasi
on mother’s day, our first together.
by Megan Spencer
Menarche
by Mitch Alcantara
A child mourns at her mother’s funeral
by Najmah
Survivor
by Natalia Díaz Zeledón
I am a Woman!
by Nicole Moré Tchiemessom
Can I get tested?
by Nyambo Laura
Pre-Treatment
by Owolabi Bjälkander
Contraception is not a contradiction
by Peace Umanah
What ifs of women’s rights
by Portia Khanyile Shanduka
Dear Lover
by Rebian Sharon Atieno
The Taj
by Roy Jacobstein
Heart
by Steph Lum
Under the Act
by Susanna Rance
The rendezvous
by Sushma Krishna
Am I born to suffer?
by Tough Lady
As a child
by Valentina Ortiz Rincón
The Choices
by Winnie Madoro
Pinky Moment
by Zhong-Cheng Luo
The Selection Committee:
Esben Esther Pirelli Benestad – Poet, Medical Doctor and Sexologist
Jane Cottingham – Poet and SRHM Trustee
Makhosazana Xaba – Poet and Women’s Health Specialist
Martha Ryan – Poet and MFA Candidate in Creative Writing
About the anthology:
In September 2021, SRHM announced its first call for poetry. We invited people to submit poems of up to 80 lines that spoke of sexual and reproductive justice. Poets could decide if they wanted to include their name and biography or submit anonymously. Poems could be submitted in any language with an English translation. Meanwhile, we appointed our Selection Committee who blindly reviewed the 107 submissions we received. After months of deliberation, 57 poems were invited to be published in SRHM’s first poetry anthology. Poems were shared weekly between Human Rights Day (December 10, 2021) and Women’s Day (March 8, 2022). Launch events were held on both those dates which featured poets from the collection.