Period Poverty: Are you wondering what this is? Or why it still affects so many women today? Or what you can do about it? Here are the answers. One thing in advance: The still prevailing reality will make you as angry as it does us.
The good news: nookees is rolling up its sleeves and going full steam ahead against period poverty. #sisterhood #girlssupportgirls
Period poverty – when you can't afford your human dignity
To put it bluntly, the ignorance of non-menstruators and stigmatization of menstruators are the two sad reasons for Period Poverty prevailing around the globe. Behind it are antiquated patriarchal structures, social injustice, lack of hygiene facilities and monetary greed. Anyone surprised? Probably not seriously.
POV: You live in a village somewhere in Africa, have your period and are poor. What do your next days look like? You try to hide your bleeding from your classmates and other people. You are considered unclean. There are hardly any washing facilities and period products are far too expensive. That is why you try to catch your blood with rags or leaves. This is not only degrading, but also carries the risk of infection. Just like your friends, you prefer to stay away from school during your period so that you can avoid discrimination. School education? Unfortunately, that often falls by the wayside …
Well, my dear. This is the reality of many of our sisters, which is hard to bear. And here in the apparently rich West?
Lunch or hygiene item? It's up to you
What about human dignity in this country during the bloody days? African conditions? “Never!”, you mean? Here menstruating women don't have to endure period poverty?
Ha! The hell they don't! Our bloody days are an unpleasant topic for many contemporaries in Germany, too. They do not see our uterus and what it is capable of as the centre of life. For them, it is rather the organ-whose-name-must-not-be-mentioned. Because it makes for recurring embarrassment every month.
Sad but true: In Germany, too, the financial aspect comes on top. Around 400 to 600 euros are spent annually on tampons, pads and the like. This is an amount that not everyone in rich Germany can easily afford.
Believe it or not: until 2020, period articles were taxed at the same rate as the luxury product caviar. In the meantime, they are on a par with milk and flour. However, it remains doubtful whether the tax reduction was passed on one-to-one by retailers to their customers. As you can see, period poverty is a global issue and a crying injustice in many forms.
Need more facts?
A short, bloody trip around the world:
- If you receive a citizen's income in Germany, you are entitled to 19.16 euros per month for health care. This includes all body care products, medicines – and period products. Menstruators get the same rate as non-menstruators.
- In Uganda, a packet of sanitary pads costs more than the daily income of a third of the population.
- In India, people are not even allowed to talk about their periods. The most famous brand of sanitary pads is called "Whisper".
- Even today, women between the ages of ten and fifty are not allowed to enter some temples in Asia while they are menstruating. No more words needed …
We give a fuck and change the world: “Pads for you – pads for her”
Okay, the status quo is just frustrating. But we at nookees have released our inner lionesses and don't accept the world as it is. We have taken up the fight against Period Poverty. Join us in packs and become part of our Bloody Revolution!
How do you do it? Totally easy: You bleed completely chilled with the clickable PANTIES and PADS from nookees, and you do not only do something good for yourself and the environment. Thanks to our sharing project “Pads for you – pads for her”, you also support sisters who are less privileged.
All bleeding participants benefit: You get our ingenious hygienic, pollutant-free, sustainable PANTIES and PADS. At the same time, nookees distributes pads for free to menstruating people in Uganda. How it works: We supply a local tailor shop with fabrics and finance the production of the nookees PADS. Then we have them distributed free of charge to all local menstruating people. Clicking awesome win-win at its best!
You go, girl: Become part of the nookees community and fight Period Poverty with us!
