Poverty In Periods – Campaign fighting for sanitary product donation to help Manchester’s homeless women.
- Many homeless women lack access to sanitary products
- They are at increased risk of developing Toxic Shock Syndrome
- A campaign led by NQ reporter Meliza Sestito calls to put an end to #povertyinperiods.
There are approximately 68,000 homeless women in the UK. When we think of what homeless people need; food, water and shelter are the first things to come to mind. We neglect to think about the basic hygiene needs that these people deserve access to.
Women who have experienced period poverty are more likely to suffer from anxiety or depression, a study claims. A survey of 1,000 women, 500 of whom had suffered from period poverty, revealed that a lack of access to sanitary products can have a far-reaching effect on young women’s lives.
Those who can’t afford sanitary products are resorting to reusing old ones and making their own using scraps of cloth, socks or anything they can find. This is not only unhygienic but puts them at an increased risk of developing Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) which can be deadly.
Shelter are inundated with requests from women for sanitary products and they are struggling to meet demand. All women deserve to have safe, hygienic periods regardless of their economic status. Safe periods are a right, not a luxury.
Sign our petition to get donation bins for sanitary products in Greater Manchester.
With your help we can put an end to #povertyinperiods.
Find out more here.