Four companies that work to combat period poverty

Have you ever heard of the term ‘period poverty’? Have you ever witnessed someone that has experienced period poverty? Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, hand washing facilities or waste management. Women and girls that live in developing, third world countries are affected the worst. However, period poverty is also very prevalent in other countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. For some women living in poverty, they have to decide between getting menstrual hygiene products or getting food for their kids! Unfortunately, pads (a necessity every month for women and girls) are not supported by public benefits like food stamps, making it even harder.

In places like the U.S, there are finally bills being put in place to fight against period poverty. The Menstrual Equity for All Act became the first comprehensive bill to address the challenges that women and girls face in obtaining feminine hygiene products in the U.S.

While the number of bills being put in place in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world are slowly coming into place, there are some amazing organizations and charities that are putting in the work to end period poverty all on their own! Binti, Days for Girls, Freedom 4 Girls and #HappyPeriod are four growing organizations striving to put an end to period poverty. Here’s what you should know about them:

Binti, a registered charity, has a mission to “provide menstrual dignity to all girls and women”. They help with gaining access to pads and properly educating girls about everything pertaining to menstruation. They work to improve access, educate girls and advocate for the normalization of menstruation!

Days for Girls is an organization that offers unique DFG (Days for Girls) kits to young girls and women, mostly in developing countries. Their unique kits are meant to last for years at a time and include things like: washcloths, panties, pads, small soap and much more! DFG has increased access to menstrual care and education by developing global partnerships.

Freedom 4 Girls is a U.K. based organization that supports women and girls in the U.K. and worldwide. They offer environmentally friendly, washable/re-usable menstrual hygiene products! They work to actively campaign for menstrual equality, partner with different organizations to supply those in need with products and conduct research on socio-economic and environmental impacts of period poverty worldwide.

Lastly, #HappyPeriod is a U.S. based non-profit organization that is considered a social movement of a group of women providing menstrual hygiene kits to women and young girls. Their initiative supports anyone that is homeless, low-income, and/or living in poverty!

While period poverty has not been brought to a complete end, it’s companies and organizations like these that bring awareness to those in need and at a disadvantage due to lack of access and resources that will surely help bring an end to period poverty in the future!

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