Bloody Queen: A new campaign for WaterAid

Girls and women are excluded from society in large parts of the world simply because they menstruate. Together with WaterAid, we are now launching Bloody Queen, a chess set designed by artist Evelina Kroon to draw attention to the taboos, stigmas, and injustices still linked to menstruation. To symbolize what happens when women are forced into absence because of their periods, the chess sets are missing a vital player: the Queen.

– We want more people to engage in the rights of girls and women so that everyone can participate fully in society on equal terms, says Anna Nilsdotter, Secretary-General of WaterAid.

When women and girls cannot manage their menstrual health and are forced into absence, entire societies miss out on essential skills and resources. To highlight this, we are launching the "Bloody Queen" chess set. The game is missing its most important player - the Queen - symbolizing the losses a society suffers when women are forced to be absent.

Several of the chessboards, designed by Swedish artist Evelina Kroon, will be exhibited at Space in Stockholm. Two of the boards will be auctioned off during the spring, while one is currently visiting WaterAid’s sister organization in Nepal.

At www.wateraid.se, you can challenge yourself or a friend to a game of chess, but even there, the Queen is missing. To increase your chances of winning, you can purchase a "Bloody Queen" - all proceeds go to WaterAid’s global work for menstrual health.