These brands fight menstrual poverty

Menstrual poverty is a serious social problem. In Scotland and New Zealand, a law is in place that makes tampons and sanitary napkins free for those who cannot afford them, but in the Netherlands similar regulations will not come into force until next year. To get through the onerous month of December, brands are taking matters into their own hands to work on solutions. And they can use everyone’s help for that.

Menstrual poverty

In 2019, a survey conducted by Plan International that one in ten girls and women between the ages of 12 and 25 in the Netherlands sometimes do not have enough money to buy tampons or sanitary napkins, so they do not dare to go to school or work . In Amsterdam, the number is even higher: out to research shows that 1 in 4 people were unable to buy menstrual products at one or more times. Even more concrete: 27% of Amsterdammers have been unable to buy menstrual products on one or more occasions this year, and 38% have only been able to buy products with great difficulty.

This shows how real, growing and widespread menstrual poverty is. A solution is currently being worked out at the political level. In 2020, for example, the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights was already advocating for the free provision of “feminine hygiene products” to minimum wage earners, to remove barriers for people with low power. purchase.

on The House of Representatives also voted on December 6 with a motion to make menstrual products free for low-income people. Meanwhile, brands decide not to wait for this. Menstrual products are needed now, which is why two brands are running big promotions in December.