Coping with the pain and discomfort that comes with your period is bad enough. The last thing you need to worry about is whether or not you have enough money to purchase a packet of pads.
Too many women in the United Kingdom suffer from period poverty. Women have no choice but to use tissue paper, newspaper and other unsuitable items as sanitary products.
There are girls as young as 12-years-old struggling to buy pads once a month, something that shouldn’t be happening in 2018.
https://t.co/Wk44V97WVg
— Girl Pack (@GirlPackMK) September 4, 2018
Paige and I Tried so hard not to cheer and start crying...again. She was so nervous too. She ended up making a very under prepared mum talk to the Councillors as she went deadly quiet and shy. What a FANTASTIC outcome this is.
Thankfully, Milton Keynes Council has made a huge leap forward in the fight against period poverty. They revealed that they will be providing free sanitary products to young women in their schools, colleges and academies.
Girls from low-income families will no longer have to worry about finding alternatives to sanitary products.
Campaigner Paige Pilkington is the brains behind the meaningful Girl Pack project. The 13-year-old urged the mayor to approach the council about what they can do to make a change.
Her campaign offers period packs to young women in period poverty. Each pack contains pads, underwear, wipes and hand sanitiser.
Period poverty has a damaging effect on young women, especially on their mental health. A recent study found that 39 percent of participants shared that they suffer from anxiety or depression because of their situation.
The impact period poverty has had on young women is astonishing. It has affected all aspects of their lives, from their relationships to their education.
The study found that 39 percent of women struggled to socialise and said they found it hard to make friends.
Women who couldn’t afford sanitary wear also struggled in education. The survey found that a concerning number of young women affected by period poverty failed to complete their exams, including their GCSEs.
Paige’s project is bound to make a massive difference to the lives of women in period poverty. Let’s hope more places follow Milton Keyes and put an end to period poverty.
