Charity aims to raise awareness this Menstrual Hygiene Day
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Freedom4Girls has teamed up with Intimina to celebrate Menstrual Hygiene Day 2020.
May 28 is dedicated to solving the issue of period poverty around the world through education and advocacy, and Intimina are celebrating by launching #WhileBleeding, a six part series which shines a spotlight on the unique strengths found in women while dealing with challenges that come from issues surrounding periods.
As well as sharing the stories of women, Intimina has also pledged to donate £5 from every menstrual cup sold on their website to Freedom4Girls, a charity which uses education to challenge the stigma, taboos and gender inequalities associated with menstruation.
The charity actively supports women and girls in both the UK and in East Africa, who struggle to access safe menstrual protection by offering not just disposables, but environmentally-friendly products and menstrual cups.
Intimina's Danela Zagar said: “With the COVID-19 epidemic, these are one of the most challenging times the world has seen.
"We can all find comfort and strength in others, like in so many women around us that inspire and bring hope.
"We are delighted to be supporting Menstrual Hygiene Day and the excellent work Freedom4Girls.”
The average cost of a menstruation per year is rising for women and estimated to be £500 in the UK with many groups putting pressure on the government to address the rising costs.
Earlier this year it was announced that from January 2021 the tampon tax will no longer be included in the price of sanitary products in the UK, but many believe that more needs to be done now.
Amongst the stories shared through #WhileBleeding, which you can find on Youtube, are those of:
- Annie, a team GB sprinter who suffers from painful periods but has never been able to use medication because of what she does.
- Emily, who didn’t start her periods until the age of 20 because she had an eating disorder.
- Clementine, who wasn’t able to stand because of the pain during her periods until she found out she had endometriosis.
- Katherine, a professional cyclist who who wrote about how she powers on during that time of the month.
- Emilie, who has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and initially suffered from painful periods, vomiting, heavy bleeding, and diarrhea.
- Natasha, who is really passionate about breaking the taboo of periods.
