Period poverty week
Did you know that 2 in 5 girls can't afford to buy menstrual products?
Help us spread the word: period products should be available for everyone who needs them.
Don't be shy - if you need some, we will help. Simply visit the Ladies toilet on the first floor for Free period products.
What is Period Poverty?
Period poverty is a global social injustice affecting people who cannot access period products, whether for financial reasons or otherwise. On any one day, over 800m people across the globe are on their period. Of these, 500m lack access to adequate resources to care for their period and manage their menstruation with informed choice.
In 2017, a survey by Plan International UK reported that 1 in 10 girls had been unable to afford period products; 1 in 7 had to ask to borrow products from a friend due to affordability issues; and 1 in 10 had to improvise. Research has found that some use newspaper, old clothes and toilet paper as alternatives. It is estimated that over 137,000 children across the UK have missed school days due to period poverty.
68% said they felt less able to pay attention in class at school or college while menstruating.
40% of girls in the UK have used toilet roll because they couldn’t afford menstrual products.
Information from Free Periods - find out more at freeperiods.org/periodpoverty
