Periods and poverty
The post I was supposed to share earlier, I'm sick today so I'm sorry for the delay.
I'm currently sat on my bedroom floor using the local BT WiFi hotspot, my child tax credits haven't been paid, I've run out of electric so my electric is off.
It's going to be a difficult weekend with a three year old.
I've never given it much thought before but what does it mean to me being female living in poverty?
This week has been a hard one. I've been in a position of having no money to buy gas or electric before but I've always somehow managed to scrape through. The reason this week has been hard is because I've had my period. Because I wasn't paid my child tax credits, I haven't been able to buy any sanitary products, this week I have felt disgusting, shamed and just generally unclean. This week, I learned that toilet roll would become my best friend.
I'm not really too sure where I'm going with this post as it really is just a spur of the moment post. Normally I like to plan a topic, I've not planned this one.
When I was a volunteer for a well known mental health charity, many of the women who came through the door couldn't afford tampons or sanitary pads. It was really sad actually, I could tell who needed sanitary products as they wouldn't sit down and wore black trousers. I'd often find myself going out on my lunch break to buy a couple packs of sanitary towels and some tampons just to leave in the bathroom. I didn't want to ask if anyone wanted them as I didn't want to embarrass any of the women. At the end of the day, most of the sanitary products were gone.
In recent times, menstruation has been a focal point in the media, many women have periods. What fascinates me is that we can get free contraception, we can get free STD and STI checks yet every month, women all over the UK have to pay for sanitary products.
I would understand if these products were a luxury but they're not, they are a necessity. Women NEED sanitary products, its not a debate we have a say in.
If I'm going through this, how many others are unable to buy sanitary products? It's not like the cheap ones are any good either! You're having to spend nearly £5 for 12 pads and if you have a heavy period, that can come to nearly £10 in a few days.
My period is has finished now so I don't have to improvise with the toilet roll anymore. Some else has just started theirs and now finds themselves in the exact same predicament.
I'd like to start something with this, but I'm unsure how.
It's definitely an idea I'm holding onto and if you see a homeless female, perhaps buy her some sanitary products or make a hygiene pack for her. Maybe this is the start of something?
I'm currently sat on my bedroom floor using the local BT WiFi hotspot, my child tax credits haven't been paid, I've run out of electric so my electric is off.
It's going to be a difficult weekend with a three year old.
I've never given it much thought before but what does it mean to me being female living in poverty?
This week has been a hard one. I've been in a position of having no money to buy gas or electric before but I've always somehow managed to scrape through. The reason this week has been hard is because I've had my period. Because I wasn't paid my child tax credits, I haven't been able to buy any sanitary products, this week I have felt disgusting, shamed and just generally unclean. This week, I learned that toilet roll would become my best friend.
I'm not really too sure where I'm going with this post as it really is just a spur of the moment post. Normally I like to plan a topic, I've not planned this one.
When I was a volunteer for a well known mental health charity, many of the women who came through the door couldn't afford tampons or sanitary pads. It was really sad actually, I could tell who needed sanitary products as they wouldn't sit down and wore black trousers. I'd often find myself going out on my lunch break to buy a couple packs of sanitary towels and some tampons just to leave in the bathroom. I didn't want to ask if anyone wanted them as I didn't want to embarrass any of the women. At the end of the day, most of the sanitary products were gone.
In recent times, menstruation has been a focal point in the media, many women have periods. What fascinates me is that we can get free contraception, we can get free STD and STI checks yet every month, women all over the UK have to pay for sanitary products.
I would understand if these products were a luxury but they're not, they are a necessity. Women NEED sanitary products, its not a debate we have a say in.
If I'm going through this, how many others are unable to buy sanitary products? It's not like the cheap ones are any good either! You're having to spend nearly £5 for 12 pads and if you have a heavy period, that can come to nearly £10 in a few days.
My period is has finished now so I don't have to improvise with the toilet roll anymore. Some else has just started theirs and now finds themselves in the exact same predicament.
I'd like to start something with this, but I'm unsure how.
It's definitely an idea I'm holding onto and if you see a homeless female, perhaps buy her some sanitary products or make a hygiene pack for her. Maybe this is the start of something?
Comments
Post a Comment