Regarding the article titled "月經與身體、偏見與挑戰: Happeriod的正向月經與性別平等教育實踐" (in English: “Menstruation and the Body, Prejudice and Challenge: Happeriod's Practice of Positive Menstruation and Gender Equality Education”) by 鄭茜勻 (Transliterate: Cheng Qianyun), published in the book  "Commoning 社群共造和共享空間" (in English: “Commoning: Community Creation and Shared Spaces”) (edited by Professor Pun Ngai, Chair Professor of Department of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University, Chau Leung, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Cultural Research and Development in Lingnan University, and other students from the Department of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University; published by Typesetter Publishing), the happeriod team wishes to make the following clarifications:

Prior to the publication of this book, the happeriod team and founder Zoe were never aware of any publication plans, nor did they have any contact with the editing and publishing teams. Furthermore, they did not provide any information—via materials or interviews—to the editing or publishing teams. The content in the article was solely collected and interpreted by the author using other methods. The happeriod team only learned of the book's existence and the fact that their work was mentioned when the editing team informed them after the book's release that they were entitled to a complimentary copy. They were subsequently provided with the content for review by other friends (the team had not yet received the book at the time of writing this document). Therefore, any quotes or introductions about happeriod and Zoe in the article do not represent happeriod's opinions or stance.

1. Regarding the exhibition: The first paragraph on page 53 mentions the menstruation exhibition held in Sham Shui Po on May 28, 2023, as the "Be My Buddy Buddy" Menstrual Equity Exhibition. The exhibition ran from May 25–28, 2023, and was organized by Free Periods HK, co-organized by OneBite Design Studio, and sponsored by Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (Hactl). The content was entirely conceived and designed by Zoe in her capacity as cofounder of Free Periods HK, in collaboration with the other cofounders of Free Periods HK and the OneBite Design Studio team. It is unrelated to happeriod, and Zoe did not participate in it as a "curator" or in her personal capacity.
2. The description in the second paragraph on page 55 of the book, "Happeriod also produces its own... various specifications of menstrual cups," is incorrect. The fact is that happeriod has never produced its own menstrual cups.
3. The description in the second paragraph on page 59 of the book, "The integration of menstrual education and environmental education is also a characteristic of Happeriod... Zoe... also launched the 'Menstrual Ambassador Program'...", is incorrect. This program is the work of Free Periods HK and is unrelated to happeriod, nor is it Zoe's personal advocacy or work. Furthermore, the source of information is incorrect. The article states that the source is an article titled "It takes 500 years for sanitary napkins to decompose, eco-friendly period products love the Earth," published by authors such as 沈晴(Transliterate: Shen Qing) in Guangming Daily in 2022. However, the actual source of the content should be the article titled “「小刺蝟happeriod」：透過月事教育拓寬性平之路”(in English: “‘Happeriod’: Widening the Path to Gender Equality through Menstrual Education”) published by 丁凱樂(Transliterate: Ding Kai-le) in Hong Kong In-media in 2019.
4. The article "衛生巾分解需時500年 環保月事用品愛地球” (in English: “It takes 500 years for sanitary napkins to decompose, eco-friendly period products love the Earth") by 沈晴、李欣敏、張淑媚、植蔚卿 (Transliterate: Shen Qing, Li Xinmin, Zhang Shumei, and Zhi Weiqing), cited by the author on page 59, was actually published on June 28, 2022, in the Ming Pao OL section titled "環保月事用品 體貼地球” (in English: “Eco-friendly Period Products Care for the Earth)”. Guangming Daily merely reprinted the Ming Pao interview, and the happeriod team and Zoe have never accepted an interview with Guangming Daily.

Additional points regarding some of the content in the article:

1. happeriod's promotion and educational work is not limited to menstruating women; different individuals, including transgender people, those who do not menstruate, and those who have gone through menopause, have unique menstrual needs. Furthermore, happeriod believes that everyone, regardless of gender or whether they menstruate, needs to understand menstruation due to the necessity of universal gender education.
2. happeriod agrees that disposable menstrual products impose a burden on the environment but does not believe that menstruating individuals must switch to reusable menstrual products as a result. happeriod has always encouraged customers to choose menstrual products based on understanding their current needs, and they should not feel pressured in their choice due to other factors.

Upon learning of the situation, the happeriod team and Zoe expressed their dissatisfaction to the editorial team regarding the careless handling of this publication.

We believe that writing in a style that mimics an interview without actually conducting one should be avoided to prevent misleading readers and compromising the content's credibility. Furthermore, based on respect, we fundamentally disagree with any working method that bypasses the wishes of the involved parties to write their story, fails to verify facts with them, or does not even inform them that they will be the subject of the writing. Regardless of the reason, editors should rigorously handle the author's writing style, data sources, content authenticity, and the feelings of the subject to ensure compliance with publishing and professional ethics. The subject should not be reduced to a faceless, nameless, silent, and powerless "other" or object. An academic unit centered on humanistic care should be deeply aware of this.

As editor Chau Leung stated in the book, "We believe that the concept (of commoning) should not and cannot become a slogan, a form of consumption." We agree that community participation is crucial for the development of contemporary society. As researchers, advocates, and practitioners, we sincerely hope that the team involved will carefully elaborate on the meaning of this statement and reflect on what the "common" in "Commons" truly is, to prevent others from being consumed while practicing "commons," ultimately leading "commoning" to be nothing more than a slogan.

We have requested that the editorial team follow up to understand if other mentioned parties (whether interviewed or not) felt offended by this publication and to take follow-up action. We have also requested they contact all stocking bookstores to ensure that readers who have purchased or will purchase the book can be informed of the errors, in order to respect the readers' right to know and prevent them from being misled. The involved parties have, so far, been unable to provide us with what we consider an appropriate solution on how to deal with the books still circulating on the market. We urge the public to judge the situation.

We once again express our regret over this incident and hope that the team, while taking responsibility and following up properly, can use this opportunity to practice commons and "re-examine the relationship between the individual (team) and society (community)" together with the public, allowing people to see how commons can be a possibility for being people-centered, maintaining dignity, and promoting justice.

happeriod
June 8, 2024