Imagine, not being able to go to work, and therefore not getting paid for a few days because you have your period. Imagine telling your child that they can’t go to school this week because you can’t afford to buy them menstrual products. For many people in New Zealand, this is the hidden reality of period poverty.
Period Poverty isn’t just something that happens in developing countries. It’s happening in New Zealand; we just don’t talk about it. In our society, and in many communities, there’s still shame or stigma attached to menstruation, so in many communities we don’t really talk about periods at all. Because of this, many are missing out on important education and pay from work, perpetuating the issue further.
Over the course of a lifetime, menstrual products can cost someone around $15,000. In 2019, a Youth19 survey of 4000 students who were menstruating, found that almost 8 per cent reported having missed school due to a lack of menstrual products.
For many, the biggest barrier for obtaining menstrual products is the cost. The Good Fund wants to solve this. No one should have to miss school, work or study because of their period. One of the most effective ways to fight period poverty is to provide reusable menstrual products.
