Menstruation from A to Z - a book by Vera Markova

What is the book "Menstruation from A to Z" about?

"Menstruation from A to Z" by Vera Markova is a book with an educational mission that aims to build a positive attitude towards menstruation and help readers take better care of themselves and their loved ones. It's an entirely Bulgarian project with Bulgarian font (Adys), created by Kristina Kostova for dyslexic people & packaged in Lam'on's compostable foil, made in Bulgaria!

Here is the full team befind it:

Author: Vera Markova

Illustrators: Ivan Domuzchiev & Kristin Badzheva

Editors: Atanas & Daniela Piryankovi

Proofreaders: Iva Koleva & Atanas Piryankov

The book contains information on suitable foods and sports activities during the different phases of the menstrual cycle, traces the history and development of different types of menstrual products, presents international scientific research on their impact on our health, finances and the environment. “Menstruation from A to Z” by Vera Markova shares stories about menarche (one’s first period) in Bulgaria and around the world, explores the representation of menstruation in films and series, and at the same time touches on important issues such as period poverty and female genital mutilation. The book also examines the emergence of global menstrual activism and points to examples of useful practices from other countries such as the introduction of paid menstrual leave, the reduction of VAT on menstrual products and the adoption of plans for providing free menstrual products to girls and women in need.

"Menstruation from A to Z" was inspired by the personal story of the author, who at the age of 16 was diagnosed with endometriosis. Vera went through a difficult period during her teenage years as she often had to skip school due to her condition. The lack of understanding from classmates and the school board complicated the situation further.

What is the target audience of “Menstruation from A to Z” by Vera Markova?

The book aims to help both young girls take care of their bodies and to inspire their parents to talk to their children about menstrual hygiene. “Menstruation from A to Z” is suitable for girls aged 12-19, as well as for their parents and grown-up ladies aged 20-50 who are interested in healthy lifestyle and environmental conservation. The book will be in full-color print and it includes more than 50 illustrations by the talented Ivan Domuzchiev, author of comic books such as "The Adventures of Smobi", the series "Blagoy the Beast", "Maniac" and also part of the comic universe of "Maina Town".

What is the cause of the book "Menstruation from A to Z" by Vera Markova?

With this book, our Foundress Vera Markova sets the ambitious goal of educating readers on menstrual hygiene and building a positive attitude towards menstruation in our country. Bulgaria is the only member of the European Union, where there are no sexual education classes or reproductive health classes neither as part of curriculum, nor as extra-curriculars.

This leads to devastating consequences such as the record 13.8% of teenage pregnancies in the country in comparison to Latvia with 6.7% and Sweden with 2%, and to immense shame and embarrassment when discussing the topic of "menstruation" in the public, which keeps the country behind and delays the introduction of useful practices such as reduction of VAT on menstrual products in the country (a measurement that has already been implemented in over 15 EU member states), paid menstrual leave and countrywide distribution of sustainable menstrual products such as menstrual cups, period pants and reusable organic cotton pads.

We hope that we can change things for the better with your help!

You can read, sign and share Vera's petition to reduce VAT on menstrual products in Bulgaria HERE

*The petition can only collect signatures from Bulgarian citizens and foreign nationals with a residency in Bulgaria. If that is not you, please share the petition and our book pre-order campaign on your social media channels, the more people find out about the book and the petition, the more likely we are to get to the mandatory 10,000 signatures which will allow us to introduce our petition to the Members of the Bulgarian Parliament.

Can I help the distribution of the book "Menstruation from A to Z" by Vera Markova without spending money?

Yes, here are some ways:

- Share this link with the description of the book "Menstruation from A to Z" on your social media platforms and tell your family, colleagues and friends about it

- Sign our petition to reduce VAT on menstrual products (if you are a Bulgarian national or if you have a registered address in Bulgaria) and share it on as many channels as possible

- If you work for a publishing house abroad or know a representative of one, tell them about Vera Markova’s book "Menstruation from A to Z"

- If your employer supports social projects, put us in touch with the person of contact

- If you work for a media outlet or have such contacts, share about the book "Menstruation from A to Z" by Vera Markova and her petition to reduce VAT on menstrual products in Bulgaria

- If you are an educator looking for a guest speaker on Menstruation and Menstrual Hygiene, email Vera Markova at vera@greenrevolucia.com

Follow us on social media to keep up with the latest “Menstruation A to Z” news:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Greenrevolucia 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/greenrevolucia/ 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/revolucia/ 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC0doPpSNitHj_1mLbAYLrLw 

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@greenrevolucia 

Who is Vera Markova?

Vera Markova was born on 19/01/1992 in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. She graduated from the French Language School "Antoine de Saint-Exupéry" in 2011 with honours. Vera has a BA (Hons) in Public Relations from Bournemouth University - UK.

She speaks Bulgarian, English and French and is a certified translator in all.

Vera has worked in Belgium, India, Kenya, Great Britain. In 2017 she came back to Bulgaria to establish the first zero-waste shop in the country - Green Revolucia. We offer eco-friendly products such as plantable seed cards, natural cosmetics, collapsible coffee cups, reusable menstrual products and more. Again in 2017, Vera was awarded by the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria, and Green Revolucia quickly became an important tool for spreading awareness and educational advice on reducing waste and carbon footprint in Bulgaria. Vera is also a Lecturer and Sustainability Consultant who has worked with worldwide companies such as Serpact, Latécoère, HP, CluneTech and more.

Vera is the driving force behind popular educational campaigns such as "Plastic Free July in Bulgaria", "Together for clean spring" , “Zero-Waste December", which she organized together with “Friends of the Earth - Bulgaria", “Greenpeace – Bulgaria”, ZERA and other committed citizens, NGOs and businesses. In June 2023 Vera also organized the first Zero-Waste Festival in Bulgaria - Zero Waste Fest together with Pendara.

Her work has been recognised by media outlets such as Forbes, Bloomberg, Nova TV, BTV News, Nova News, Maritsa, SKAT TV, Plovdiv TV and more.

In 2020 Vera became part of two prestigious lists of 30 successful people under 30 years old - one by the magazine Forbes – Bulgaria and the other by the University she graduated from in the UK - Bournemouth University.

Vera is also an Ambassador of the European Climate Pact, a TEDx Speaker, a nominee for "Person of the Year" Award in 2020 and a recognised Innovator for Central and Eastern Europe by Ashoka and EIT Climate KIC CEE.

You can learn more about Vera Markova's work from:

Our website: https://greenrevolucia.com/revolucia-in-the-press 

Vera's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vera-markova-2145ba53/