Share the Dignity’s ’August Dignity Drive’ has begun and for the first time Woolworths Supermarkets across the country will be collection points for all sanitary product donations.
With women and young girls across Australia experiencing period poverty, Woolworths and Share the Dignity formed a partnership in March to help make much needed changes to the lives of women in need.
3.2 million Australians are currently living under the poverty line, more than half of these are women and young girls and many experience period poverty on a monthly basis, meaning they are unable to afford necessary sanitary products.
Throughout August, Share the Dignity is calling on Australians to help eradicate period poverty and asking that for every sanitary product consumers buy, they also buy one for a woman or girl in need. These donations can be dropped off at a Woolworths supermarket and Share the Dignity volunteers will collect and deliver the sanitary products to charities in their local community.
Rochelle Courtenay, founder of Share the Dignity, said; “So many women, every month, have to forfeit sanitary products because they cannot afford them. Many mothers have to choose between buying sanitary items and feeding their children.
“While this is a major problem facing our society it is a topic that not many people want to talk about. I applaud Woolworths for taking leadership in addressing this ‘taboo’ subject and helping the Share the Dignity team in driving greater awareness of this growing issue.
“The support Woolworths has shown since becoming a partner just a few months ago is already making a meaningful difference. Having a collection point in all of their supermarkets this month will make it even easier for shoppers to play their role in helping thousands of Australian women and girls in need.”
Since forming the partnership earlier this year, Woolworths has donated five cents from every pack of sanitary items sold, including pads, tampons, liners or period briefs, across its stores nationally.
Funds donated to date by Woolworths will be used to purchase 30 new ‘Pink Box Dignity Vending Machines’, which dispense free period packs to women and girls in need in domestic violence refuges, homelessness hubs and schools.
Woolworths Supermarkets Managing Director, Claire Peters said; “We’re committed long term to supporting Share the Dignity in their aim to end period poverty for Australian women. We know that small dignities can make a big difference and we urge our generous customers for their support in offering a small act of kindness this month to give back dignity to Australia’s most vulnerable women.
“Along with offering collection points at our stores for the August Dignity Drive, we will continue to donate five cents from the sale of sanitary items directly to Share the Dignity to help them continue their fantastic work of providing free feminine hygiene products to those that need it most.”
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