Period Poverty campaign seeking donations

Vanessa Nicholson, a member of the Defence Women’s Advisory Group, has started a collection drive for menstrual hygiene products.

Peter Mallett
Staff Writer
__

A campaign to collect menstrual hygiene products for people in need has been launched by members of the Defence Women’s Advisory Organization (DWAO).

Vanessa Nicholson, DWAO member, has a target of amassing 10,000 menstrual hygiene products by May 28, 2022. The end date coincides with the World Menstrual Hygiene Day. 

“People are normally very generous when it comes to supporting food banks with donations. However, when we donate to these organizations we don’t typically think of donating menstruation products,” she says.

To kick off their “end period poverty” campaign, the DWAO members will host a virtual discussion on MS Teams, Sept. 15 at 8:30 a.m.

World Menstrual Hygiene Day

On World Menstrual Hygiene Day the United Way of the Lower Mainland will release its annual Period Promise research report. It is funded by the Government of British Columbia’s Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction and captures information about how period poverty is affecting local residents.

The last study found that more than 51 per cent of respondents have struggled to buy [menstruation] products at least once in their lifetime.

Period Promise also supports grants to 15 non-profit agencies that provide free menstrual products.

“Not having access to these products can lead to unsanitary measures and have huge impacts on people’s lives,” says Nicholson. “A good example is people using tampons longer than is recommended to maximize use and save on products. This can lead to infections such as toxic shock syndrome, a potentially fatal condition.”

The first beneficiary of the donations will be The Sooke Transition House Society, a non-profit that provides shelter to women and their children who have experienced trauma resulting from family violence.

For more information about volunteering for the campaign or to set up a donation box in your unit or workplace, contact +DWAO-MARPAC@MARPAC@Esquimalt

Donation boxes are located at Tool Crib SH575, main gate Commissionaires’ building, Dockyard Dental Unit Building 109, Naden base hospital, Naden Band office N33, and Canadian Fleet Pacific headequarters D81.