Where would you go if you or a community member needed access to free menstrual products? If you have trouble answering this question, you have just experienced one of the many barriers associated with addressing period poverty.
Period poverty, a person’s inability to access menstrual products due to financial limitations, is a real issue that affects people across college campuses.
WHAT’S THE PERIOD PROMISE?
The Period Promise is an initiative of the United Way of the Lower Mainland that aims to raise awareness around period poverty and highlight how providing access to free menstrual products increases access to employment, education and social engagement for people who menstruate. Having started as a donation drive initiative called Tampon Tuesday, Period Promise has grown to become an advocacy-based campaign encouraging businesses, organisations, and governments to provide access to free menstrual products.
In January 2020, the Students’ Union of VCC signed on to the Period Promise Campaign.
What’s happening at VCC?
Since signing on to this campaign, the Students’ Union has been working with VCC to collaborate and develop the pilot project: VCC Period Project, It’s all about M.E. to have menstrual products on our campuses.
The goal of the VCC Period Project is to provide menstrual products for students and the campus community, promote menstrual equity, and continue to work together to get menstrual products provided for free on campus.
Starting in February 2022 students and members of the VCC community can access free menstrual products in all gender-neutral washrooms on campus.
Over the next 2 years, the project will help us build momentum, fight period poverty and advocate for funding for sustainable universal access for universal access of basic menstrual products in all washrooms on all campuses of Vancouver Community College.
Need supplies off campus?
As part of the Period Project: All About ME (Menstrual Equity), students can sign up for Menstrual ‘take-home’ kits. Each kit includes enough products to last an average cycle.
Help end period poverty!
The Period Promise campaign by United Way is a local response to a global issue. We can reduce the isolation created by period poverty, in our own neighbourhoods.