Latest news with #periodpoverty
News24
6 days ago
- Business
- News24
SPAR fights period poverty with affordable menstrual care
About seven million South African women are held captive by 'period poverty' and face potential long-term consequences that begin with missing school and later lead to lost educational and employment opportunities, says SPAR South Africa, which announced today (date to be inserted) that it is launching a practical national campaign to help women have access to affordable hygiene products. From May 28, designated as Menstrual Hygiene Day worldwide, SPAR will support menstrual health for women by ensuring that, for under R100 per year (on average R6 per month), girls and women can access sanitary towels at SPAR stores throughout South Africa, says Mpudi Maubane, National PR, Communications & Sponsorships Manager at The SPAR Group. The offer will continue until further notice says Maubane, stressing that the objective is part of SPAR's commitment to helping promote the dignity of all South African women by working to bring an end to period poverty by 2030. 'Presently, about 30% of the nation's girls miss school regularly because they can't afford menstrual hygiene products. Each girl misses about 50 days of schooling a year, placing her at a learning disadvantage. This situation is exacerbated by the lack of basic sanitation and toilets in more than 1,700 schools, where shortages of running water and soap are also common.' 'We are dedicated to implementing practical interventions by making sanitary products affordable and easily accessible. At the same time, we support ongoing efforts to normalise conversations around menstruation, a subject often avoided or regarded as taboo in many sectors of society.' As a community-based retailer, SPAR is committed to supporting the health and dignity of all women and girls. Breaking the stigma requires the involvement of everyone. SPAR is determined to lead the way by promoting discussions about what is a natural feminine function, and by fostering understanding and support, finding ways to address the issues of period poverty in schools and workplaces, stresses Maubane. 'By enabling girls and women, especially those who face financial challenges, to buy quality pads at a price that will fit even the tightest household budgets, SPAR South Africa is proud to be fostering the development of an inclusive society in which women can take their rightful places without being held back by something as natural as menstruation,' says Maubane. For Further information about the SPAR campaign and ways to contribute to ending period poverty in South Africa, visit
CTV News
28-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Period Promise event tackles period poverty on Menstrual Hygiene Day
Members of Chatham-Kent Secondary School's student council at their own menstrual product drive. (Source: The United Way Windsor-Essex Chatham-Kent) The United Way Windsor-Essex Chatham-Kent is holding a drive-through donation event, collecting menstrual products to combat period poverty. The products collected will support people with periods in the Chatham-Kent region. 'Period Promise is about dignity, equity, and ensuring everyone in our community has access to the basic products they need,' said Lorraine Goddard, CEO of the United Way Windsor-Essex Chatham-Kent. 'Menstrual hygiene products are essential, not optional. This event gives our community a meaningful way to help remove the barriers too many people still face.' If you would like to drop off products, the drive-through will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., accepting pads, tampons, pantyliners, menstrual cups, and other brand new, unopened products. They can be delivered to Our Savior's Lutheran Church at 445 McNaughton Avenue West, Chatham. If you are unable to make it in person, you are asked to help spread the word, organize a mini drive, or consider making a donation online here. Collection was kicked off by the Chatham-Kent Secondary School student council, who organized their own school-wide drive to support Period Promise.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Canadian Innovation Revolutionizes Menstrual Health Worldwide with the Bfree Cup - The World's First Boil-Free, Antibacterial Menstrual Cup
WINNIPEG, MB, May 26, 2025 /CNW/ - What if a simple, safe innovation could break taboos, restore dignity, and end period poverty? Enter the Bfree Cup, the world's only antibacterial, boil-free menstrual cup, developed by Canadian social enterprise Women's Global Health Innovations (WGHI). This small but mighty innovation is making a big impact on global health, gender equity, and dignity. Proudly made in Canada, the Bfree Cup eliminates the need to boil water to sterilize menstrual products - a barrier in many water-scarce regions. Built-in antimicrobial technology makes it a safe, reusable, and affordable solution for menstruators worldwide. It's not just changing periods, it's changing lives. More than a product, the Bfree Cup is a symbol of Canadian ingenuity and collaboration. It's helping girls stay in school, reducing stigma, and improving menstrual literacy. WGHI partners with grassroots organizations and NGOs across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia to distribute cups and education, proving that small Canadian enterprises can be powerful players in global health. Supported by the Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT) in partnership with Global Affairs Canada, WGHI introduced the Bfree Cup with partners in multiple countries. FIT's funding and technical support helped transform a bold Canadian idea into a scalable global solution. "This is exactly what Canadian international assistance can accomplish, and an excellent example of the kinds of transformative, locally-rooted solutions the world needs," says Janice Hamilton, Executive Director. "WGHI's Bfree Cup not only addresses a fundamental health gap, it builds connections between Canadian innovators and communities around the world." Created by Leisa Hirtz, WGHI's Founder and CEO, the Bfree Cup was shaped by years of research and community input. "Access to safe menstrual care is a human right," says Hirtz. "The Bfree Cup removes barriers of affordability, stigma, and sanitation. It's a game-changer - especially where silence and shame still prevail." "The school incinerator is in an open space where boys stand and laugh at girls who always come to dispose of their used pads," says a 19-year-old Bfree Cup user and testing participant in rural Uganda. "But now with the Bfree Cup, the boys never know when I am on my period, and this has made me more comfortable in school and also boosted my confidence in school." With bold vision and deep collaboration, the Bfree Cup is showing what happens when Canadian innovation meets global need. It reminds us that it doesn't take a giant to make change - it takes a village. And this village is just getting started. Watch "Canadian Innovation Revolutionizes Menstrual Health" PSA Here #CIW25 #periodfriendlyworld About FIT A 7-year, $20.5 M initiative of the Inter-Council Network of Provincial and Regional Councils for International Cooperation, the Fund for Innovation and Transformation is funded by Global Affairs Canada and administered by the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation. FIT is designed to support Canadian small and medium-sized organizations testing innovative solutions that advance gender equality in the Global South. The program supports civil society organizations, social enterprises, post-secondary institutions and the private sector. About ICN The Inter-Council Network of Provincial and Regional Councils for International Cooperation is a coalition of the eight Provincial and Regional Councils for International Cooperation. These independent member-based Councils are committed to global social justice and social change and represent more than 350 diverse civil society organizations from across Canada. About MCIC A coalition of Manitoba-based organizations involved in international development, the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC)'s mission is to support, connect and amplify the work of its members and partners, while directly engaging and collaborating with Manitobans for global sustainability. MCIC encourages dialogue on global issues and helps empower Manitobans to become active global citizens - individuals who understand that their actions here make a difference around the world. MCIC is also responsible for distributing Government of Manitoba and Government of Canada funds designated for international development and humanitarian projects. About Global Affairs Canada Global Affairs Canada manages Canada's diplomatic relations, provides consular services to Canadians, promotes the country's international trade, and leads Canada's international development and humanitarian assistance. FIT is a program undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada. Social Media Links: Facebook: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: SOURCE Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT) View original content to download multimedia:
Medscape
19-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Screening Teens, Clinicians Discover a Tampon Access Crisis
Asking teenage girls about their access to menstruation products can help pediatricians gain a better understanding of the resources their patients need, whether it be more education or pads and tampons, according to a new study published in Pediatrics . An academic pediatric clinic in North Carolina implemented a three-question screener inquiring if teens had problems acquiring products to manage their periods, such as pads and tampons. Researchers found 1 in 10 of 73 girls had these issues. Some girls reported they resorted to using toilet paper as menstrual pads or missed school because they were worried about bleeding through their clothing. Clinicians who screened the teens reported that patient responses were sometimes surprising and opened dialogue for broader conversations about menstrual health. 'I was surprised: I feel like, 30%...of my teens have screened positive, and sometimes even just the period poverty screener itself makes me probe a little bit more on questions,' said one clinician involved in the study. 'And even if they're not positive on the screener, sometimes they'll realize they really actually don't have the things that they need.' The study took place in 2022 during well visits at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's Downtown Health Plaza Pediatric Clinic in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with a patient population with mostly Medicaid coverage. Teens were also asked if they had ever missed school (7%) or experienced anxiety because of their period (10%). Girls who answered yes to any of the questions received a bag of menstrual supplies and information about where to obtain additional free products. The clinic partnered with a local chapter of The Period Project, a nonprofit aimed at eliminating menstrual poverty. The North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology in 2022 called for clinicians to ask their patients about access to menstrual products, educate them about menstruation, and speak openly with girls about their periods. A recent study found that 1 in 3 girls who visited an emergency department in Washington, DC, said they were unable to afford supplies or had to use cloth, toilet paper, tissues, or rags as alternatives. Tambu Kudze, MD Girls who struggle to afford supplies may 'resort to using products beyond their recommended use,' which increases their risk for toxic shock syndrome, said Tambu Kudze, MD, a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, who was not associated with the study. The use of items like cloth or toilet paper can also increase the risk for vulvar irritation, poor hygiene, and infection, Kudze said. However, asking questions about access to menstrual products is not a widespread clinical practice, said Callie Brown, MD, an associate professor of pediatrics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and senior author of the study. Callie Brown, MD 'I would say honestly that some of these teens lack understanding for their menstrual cycles in general, and not understanding that it can be irregular, and how much they need to use pads and tampons,' said one clinician. 'Sometimes, they're using them inappropriately, so the education part has been an issue for some kids.' Kudze said that written questionnaires could easily be integrated into clinical practice and might help patients disclose their struggles. 'One of my biggest takeaways from the study is we can ask these questions, but it's important to then have the resources,' Kudze said. 'You can't just say 'I'm sorry that you don't have pads' and then leave it there.' Kudze and Brown reported having no disclosures. The study was independently funded.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
PeriodPalooza event combating teen hygienic poverty comes to Grand Junction
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) – Period poverty. According to experts, it's a term riddled with social stigma, used to describe an inability for women and teens who menstruate to afford safe hygienic products. Tomorrow from 9am-5pm at the Holiday Inn Grand Junction, the Justice Necessary non-profit is throwing an event in the hopes of fighting teen hygienic poverty with the help of the Western Slope. A 2024 study showed fifty-three percent of menstruating Colorado women reported suffering from period poverty, a ten percent increase in just two years. Enter PeriodPalooza, an event inviting volunteers to assemble kits of hygienic products for Colorado teens in need. Justice Necessary founder and president, Diane Cushman Neal, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and came to Colorado during the COVID-19 pandemic for life saving care. She says seeing her new community affected by heightened food insecurity inspired the cause. Diane recalls, 'I started seeing all the food lines and I knew that if school kids didn't have access to lunches, they wouldn't have access to breakfast. So I called my local pantry, and I said, I want to help children make sure they have both meals during this time. And that's when I found out, they said, really, we don't need that as much as we need, for example, period products. We're lucky to have six pads or six tampons for one menstruator.' Since then, Diane's organization has reportedly donated over five million period products statewide. Justice Necessary also partnered recently with congress and school groups to pass legislation providing menstrual products at no expense to students. But Diane says, their work is far from over. 'The General Assembly did award some money to the state to provide for this, but the money was never going to be enough. So this is where Justice Necessary stepped in… Whether you can give a dollar, you can give an hour, either or all the above is always appreciated because it takes all of us to bring this change about…' Justice Necessary tells WesternSlopeNow, this year, they have set a game-changing goal: to pack and distribute 1 million period products to students in need across Colorado. For more information on how to volunteer for the PeriodPalooza event at the Holiday Inn Grand Junction, visit their website Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
