This week saw the inaugural Global Period Poverty Forum 2022 being hosted in Brisbane by Share the Dignity  this forum bought together 42 expert speakers from all over the World to discuss the far reaching implications of period poverty.  The three day forum discussed the shame and stigma that many associate with periods, the far reaching implications of period poverty on those suffering, effects on education and the work force, and the research being done in these areas.

The facts and figures around period poverty and the numbers of people being effected are terrifying.  Discussions around these issues are so important for the

  • 65% of women in Kenya who cannot afford period products
  • 30% of women in Canada struggling to afford period products
  • 130, 000 girls in France who miss school due to their period
  • 60% of girls aged 10-29 who struggle to afford period products in NZ
  • 77% of women in India who rely on old cloth in place of period products
  • Women in Venezuela who spend 25% of their income on period products *

The forum, the research and the conversations taking place around this subject are crucial if we are to eradicate this problem so that nobody ever has to suffer the pain and embarrassment of not being able to afford sanitary products.

 

*Statistics taken from the Global Period Poverty Forum 2022.