Period poverty continues to plague way too many Australian women.
The Period Pride report, which includes responses from 125,205 Australians, found that one in five people who menstruate has had to improvise on period products due to the cost. This means, instead of using a pad, tampon or period cup, they are forced to use other items like rolled-up toilet paper or socks.
For many of us, it’s an unimaginable struggle. But for women living under the poverty line, it’s a struggle that has become routine, and they need our help.
How You Can Help
All it takes is a simple donation to help a woman and her daughter relieve the burden of period poverty from anywhere between three to eight months.
Incredible charity Share the Dignity do a March Dignity Drive every year, however, this year, they’re still more than 40,000 period products short of fulfilling their charities’ requests.
They need our help to ensure that no woman or girl misses out on the basic essentials.
Simply head to the Share the Dignity Dignity Drive page here, and choose an amount that feels comfortable to you.
They have suggestions, like $30 one-off donation to support a woman and her child with the essentials for three months, or $80 for eight months, but there’s also an option for you to manually choose your own amount, which can be as little or as much as you’d like.
Every dollar of support counts, so regardless of your financial ability right now, please don’t be discouraged to help.
Why Your Support Is Vital
There are more than 49,000 women experiencing homelessness in Australia every night, with the fastest-growing population being women over 55.
Mary fled her abusive husband with her two sons and never looked back. All living together in her car, Mary sacrificed period products to be able to feed her children. She would use cut-up towels and socks to deal with her period because $10 was better spent on feeding her sons.
Mary’s story demonstrates why these Dignity Drives are so important, as your donations make a real difference to women in need.
“I once used a tampon from the floor of a public bathroom, just to feel like I had dignity, even for a day.”
Imagine Mary’s relief when she received enough pads and tampons to deal with her period. This relief is possible due to charities like Share the Dignity and the support they receive.
You can donate to Share the Dignity‘s Dignity Drive here. You can also find many other ways to support women suffering period poverty there.
