Shopping centres sign up to end period poverty

A campaign to help women and girls in the local community deal with period and incontinence poverty will run across three Moreton Bay Region shopping centres throughout August.

Share the Dignity and Retail First Shopping Centres have teamed up for the sixth year so customers can donate sanitary items to girls and women who are homeless or in need.

Share the Dignity collects donations throughout August to help local charities provide pads, tampons, liners, period underwear, reusable pads, and menstrual cups as well as incontinence pads and underwear to those that come to them for help.

Period poverty

Founder Rochelle Gilbert says the organisation’s research indicates one in five Australian women improvise with period products due to the cost.

“We also know that a significant number of Australian women have resorted to using toilet paper, used a pad or tampon for more than four hours, or have needed to ask a friend to purchase products,” Rochelle says.

“It is astounding how many people struggle to afford period products, which shows just how little this issue is spoken about.

“This only compounds the shame and stigma that still exists around menstruation, and we can’t end period poverty without first reducing this shame,” she said.

How you can help

Retail First head of marketing Bec Gascoigne says the donation drive is an opportunity for shoppers to help local women and teenage girls in need.

“Our customers have been so generous in previous donation drives,” Bec says.

|“Something as simple and inexpensive as a packet of tampons will make a great difference to a young Queensland woman in need next month.|

“Rochelle’s stories about women and girls in crisis touched our hearts and we shed tears hearing of young girls not going to school while they have their period.”

Pink collection boxes will be located throughout Retail First shopping centres, including Peninsula Fair, Margate Village and Strathpine Centre.