The Period Poverty Project: Tackling the unspoken issues in a COVID-19 world
Categories: Past Event Articles
Tuesday May 05 2020
Period Poverty is a hidden issue that a large number of women suffer through every month, yet it’s one that is rarely mentioned out loud. According to Bodyform’s research, 1 in 10 girls in the UK can’t afford to buy menstrual products, and 1 in 7 struggle to afford them. Shortage of these products have meant that girls have resorted to makeshift pads of toilet roll, socks or newspapers to cope with their periods, and often miss days of school and work due to this issue.
The shame associated with menstruation means individuals are unable to access period products when they are short of resources. The impact of COVID-19 has meant that the impact of this shortage has become more pronounced over the last few months. The Period Poverty Project is an initiative in Greater Manchester that was set up a year ago and works to address period poverty, especially in the Muslim community.
Headed up by Ghazala Tehseen, the team have been distributing menstrual products across Greater Manchester via food banks, community hubs and mosques. Through this endeavour, they were able to deliver 1,242 pads in just one week in March, reaching hundreds of women in the locality. This has no doubt eased their struggles during this highly stressful time. The work being delivered by the team is commendable, pragmatic and necessary and one that we believe the whole community should get behind.
MEND is proud to be locally partnering up with The Period Poverty Project to help support the immense work they have been doing up to this point, and will no doubt continue to do so over the coming weeks and months. They’re also collaborating with Electric Bazaar on a Domestic Violence Awareness campaign. Make sure to check them out online to show your support for the cause.
If you can support by volunteering to deliver products around Greater Manchester, or by donating pads or money, then please get in touch at [email protected].
Keep up to date with their work on Twitter: @periodpovmanc and Instagram: @periodpovertymanc