The Bloody Truth - Period Poverty
Period poverty: What is that?
Period poverty means that menstruating people do not have sufficient financial resources to get through their period healthy and hygienically given that period products are still a privilege for many people.
That means they're not only lack access to clean sanitation facilities, but also to free menstrual products. Many of them are replacing tampons and pads with old underwear, toilet paper or scraps of fabric.
500 million people worldwide do not have access to menstrual products. Anyone who now only believes in distant countries is wrong!
This is not a problem outside of the western world but one that is more than acute in Germany.
Periodic poverty affects around 100,000 menstruating homeless people in Germany, but also many people who live on the poverty line. (Source: Social Period e.V.)
The day-to-day business of Social Period e.V.
One association that campaigns against period poverty is Social Period e.V., the association collects menstrual hygiene products and provides so-called Donation boxes in drugstores, among other places, but also in bookstores and elsewhere. Here, customers can donate tampons, pads, etc. immediately after shopping. (e.g. at Budnikowsky)
nevernot & Social Period
We know that Soft-Tampons are not necessarily the right product to donate to Social Period e.V. This is why we consultate them and our kit 'Make Love, Spread Love' was born. It is very important to us as a company to help others and give something back.
"Make Love, Spread Love" Kit
The 'Make Love Spread Love' Kit consists of a pack of soft tampons and a pack of lubricating gel made by the wonderful Hamburger illustrator Jaymee-Lee Hamer.
The kit costs 15 euros including shipping. 2 euros of this will be donated directly to the organization. The kit only covers our expenses.
Feel free to support the campaign by purchasing the set.
The petition
Social Period e.V. has also started a petition that is aimed directly to Franziska Giffey, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.
Even in Germany there is still no access to free hygiene products in schools or other public institutions. It's different in Scotland and, more recently, in New Zealand.
Our requirement: Make sure that menstrual products are freely available in all public institutions in Germany!
Header image via www.Vulvani.de