Image above: Visionwest, Fair Food, Salvation Army, South Auckland Christian Food Bank, and The Period Place representatives at the New Zealand Food Network.
With the rising cost of living, many New Zealanders face the difficult and grim choice between feeding their families and purchasing essential menstrual products.
The Period Place, Aotearoa’s leading menstrual health charity, has joined forces with the New Zealand Food Network (NZFN) to address period poverty across the nation. This collaboration aims to distribute millions of donated period products to Kiwis in need, highlighting the importance of menstrual health and breaking down barriers caused by period inequity.
While The Period Place focuses on securing a steady supply of both disposable and reusable menstrual products, the NZFN is utilising its extensive distribution network to ensure these products reach communities nationwide. The collaboration allows both organisations to focus on their core missions – distributing essential items and advancing menstrual health education.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that the data we collected in 2020 which showed 70,000 Kiwis were experiencing extreme period poverty has been blown out of the water by Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis,” says CEO of The Period Place, Danika Revell. “And while reusable products offer significant benefits for sustainably managing periods, the financial barrier is too high for many and there is a vulnerability when switching to a relatively new product on the market that they’ve never tried before,” Revell says.
Recently, The Period Place and NZFN organised a session with recipient Food Hubs to distribute over $50,000 worth of Modibodi reusable period underwear. This session not only included an educational workshop, but also equipped Food Hub staff with the knowledge to confidently provide these products to their communities, help them feel more comfortable with alternative products and work to reduce menstrual stigma.
“These are trying times for many Kiwi families; just as people struggle to put food on the table, affording household essentials like cleaning products and hygiene products is also proving difficult,” says Courtney Clark, NZFN Food Hub Account Manager. “Things like dishwashing liquid, shampoo and deodorant are highly sought items but recipients may feel embarrassed to ask for menstrual products.”
One of the key goals of this partnership is to destigmatise the need for period products and ensure they are readily accessible. While The Period Place and NZFN continue to collect more data and insights to better understand and address menstrual health needs across New Zealand, their collaborative efforts, and your donations, work towards ensuring that no Kiwi has to choose between feeding their family and managing their menstrual health.
