Girls in the UK are missing school because they can’t afford sanitary products, it was reported earlier this week.

This means, female pupils could be skipping up to a week of school every single month because they can’t afford tampons, towels or menstrual cups and they’re too afraid to ask for them due to the ridiculous stigma and shame still attached to periods.

Girls in UK are ‘using socks because they can’t afford sanitary towels’

It’s a staggering and depressing revelation.

A revelation that sounds more like a headline from a developing country.


But it’s happening in Britain and it’s happening in 2017.

Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to help women and girls in the UK who can’t afford to buy sanitary products during their period:



Donate

Many people living in poverty in the UK depend on foodbanks.

Although thousands selflessly give to help those in need, donations are mostly made up of food with few sanitary or hygiene products.

This app tells you how to help your local foodbank

Women and girls are resorting to using socks and newspapers in place of tampons and towels because the Government continually refuse to offer sanitary products for free, though a recent shift means the ‘luxury item’ tax on tampons are now donated to women’s charities.

The Trussell Trust, an organisation dedicated to stopping hunger and poverty and offering support to people in crisis in the UK, say going without sanitary products is not only demoralising, it’s risking their health.

Adrian Curtis, Foodbank Network Director for The Trussell Trust told Metro.co.uk: ‘It’s heartbreaking to think that young women are having to endure stigma, shame, and health issues because they can’t afford to pay for essentials like sanitary products.

‘But this is the harsh reality for many women in the UK today – Trussell Trust foodbank managers have met women having to use socks, toilet roll and even newspaper instead of sanitary products before they were referred to a foodbank.

‘Women are going hungry, cold, and seriously risking their health because they just don’t have the money, so we are urging people to donate sanitary products to their local foodbank to restore some normality to women at crisis point.’

If you want to donate sanitary products, you can find your local foodbank by entering your postcode into the map on the Trussell Trust website here.

Campaign

Homeless women and girls rarely have access or money to buy sanitary projects.

With this in mind, why aren’t tampons and sanitary pads made available for free in shelters in the same way condoms are?

Campaign groups like The Homeless Period raise awareness of how poverty and stigma continue to affect women and girls.

A spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘Period poverty remains one of the most shocking issues that’s rarely spoken about. But huge improvements have been made in the last couple of years thanks to donations by individuals and brands.’

If you personally want to campaign, The Homeless Period advise:



‘You can also get involved with a number of crowdfunds or fundraisers happening around the world, which we list on The Homeless Period twitter page.

‘But if you want to go further, you can also set up your own fundraising project. You can use The Homeless Period name, slogan, logo and any other photos you find on our campaign site.’

Buy

Sanitary pad company Bodyform has just announced a three-year plan to help alleviate period poverty.

The firm has pledged to donate 200,000 packs of sanitary products by 2020, for girls and women who usually can’t access towels or tampons.

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Nicola Coronado, SCA’s Marketing Director for Bodyform, announced the plan following the awful news that girls were skipping school during their time of the month.

Coronado said: ‘As a manufacturer of these essential products, we feel incredibly moved by this and we see this commitment as the first step in helping to combat these issues. Alongside campaigns such as The Homeless Period, we can overcome the taboo of talking about menstruation while ensuring sanitary products are reaching those most in need.

‘Until we know the full extent of this issue in the UK, we would urge other manufacturers to look at how they can further support this cause so that we can keep increasing access to these fundamental products.’

Bodyform will be sending the free sanitary towels to In Kind Direct, who will distribute them to various charitable organisations around the UK.

Tell companies what you think Think it’s a great idea that Bodyform are helping out? Great, then buy their products as a thank you. Reckon companies like Tampax, Always Lil-let etc should do the same? Tweet or email them and let them know it’s an issue that’s important to their customers. You can reach them on Twitter here: @Always @Lil_lets @Tampax

Talk

Half of the world’s population will or have had a period during their lifetimes – why are they still taboo?


For some reason, you won’t see a single drop of blood in adverts for sanitary products.

When really, something like this would be more appropriate:

It’s a monthly occurrence for women and girls that isn’t going to disappear anytime soon, the survival of the human race sort of depends on it, you see.

There are small and subtle steps you can take to start normalising periods:

Talk about it on the internet, or even post pictures, if you like.

If you’ve got cramps or feel unwell due to your period, don’t tell people it’s caused by some mystery illness that seems to pop up just as regularly as Aunt Flo.

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When you need to change your tampon or sanitary towel, don’t shove it up your sleeve out of sight like you’re carrying a dirty secret.

Want to have sex on your period? Go for it, there are plenty of good reasons why you should.

Want to go swimming? Fine, get your cossie on.

Overhear somebody peddling ridiculous myths about what you can and can’t do on your period?

Call them out.

Or better still, serve them up some truthbombs about periods.