On the eve of International Women’s Day, at the invitation of the Informal Women’s Lobby Group from Gračanica, a book promotion was held on March 7, 2025, for The Price of Impure Blood: Cultural and Economic Aspects of Menstruation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, authored by Jasna Kovačević and Zilka Spahić Šiljak.

The promoters were Medina Mujić and Zilka Spahić Šiljak, while the event was moderated by journalist Elma Mujkić. During the promotion, Zilka Spahić spoke about menstrual poverty and its economic, health, and educational implications. In addition to the fact that women must allocate an average of 50 BAM for menstrual products, hygiene, and medication—placing a burden on both family and personal budgets—menstrual poverty is also reflected in the lack of educational programs on reproductive and sexual health, as well as the absence of adequate healthcare and timely information about menstrual difficulties.

Medina Mujić discussed the socialization processes that establish and transmit shame and stigma surrounding menstruation, as well as the challenges in dismantling these norms—further exacerbated by the media’s lack of adequate attention to these issues.

The event concluded with discussions among the attending women, who shared their personal experiences with menstruation, expressing discomfort and lack of information on the topic. A young pharmacist stated at the end that, despite being educated and health-conscious, and despite never being explicitly told to be ashamed of menstruation, she could relate to many aspects of the book.

Promoter Zilka Spahić added that this is because socially coded behaviors and attitudes operate on both conscious and subconscious levels.