Cultural Studies Masters student Meredith Dault is available to talk about the ‘Julyna’ Canadian Cancer fundraiser, where women are encouraged to raise money for cervical cancer by sculpting and shaving their pubic hair into a specific design for the month of July.

The Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser was started by a group of Toronto women as the female equivalent of Movember where men grow mustaches in November to raise money for prostate cancer.

Ms Dault is studying the changes in women’s body grooming practices (particularly as it relates pubic hair) and writes a blog called The Last Triangle (www.thelasttriangle.com).

“I’m all for fighting cervical cancer, but there’s something about this fundraiser that feels kind of icky to me. Maybe it’s the fact that this little media stunt seems to be further commodifying women’s bodies – this time in the name of tee-hee-I’ve-got-a-little-secret-in-my-undies-and-it’s-wearing-a-Charlie-Chaplain-moustache fun. It’s all a little too cute for me. I think you would be hard pressed to get a bunch of men waxing their bits in cute ways as a public fundraiser,” says Ms Dault.

To arrange an interview, please contact communication officers Michael Onesi at 613.533.6000 ext. 77513 or michael.onesi@queensu.ca or Christina Archibald at 613-533-2877 or Christina.Archibald@queensu.ca at Queen’s University News and Media Services Department in Kingston, Ont., Canada.

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