Periods should NOT be a penalty—in fact, they’re bloody essential! We need meaningful, urgent action from our Government now.
Last year, through our #PayingForAPeriod campaign, we called on the UK Government to recommit to ending period poverty. A year later? Still no answers. And things have only gotten worse.
Right now, household budgets are under immense pressure in all directions. 40% of those on Universal Credit are in work. Food bank referrals are up. People are having to make impossible choices between life’s essentials - and if you have a period, and/or dependents who do, that includes period products. Nobody should be in this position.
The Government’s current actions - free period products in schools, abolishing the Tampon Tax, product provision for people in custody and within NHS hospitals - are not sufficient, and neither do they tackle the issue for many groups of people. Because of this, demand for our services are increasing.
In the UK, people who menstruate experience multiple barriers, every. Single. Day. Tampon Tax profits have gone to large corporations. 84% of people feel their employer could do more to support menstrual and menopausal health needs. Young people are still missing out on lessons. Periods have become a penalty that we pay with our finances, health, education and work—and our Government and decision makers in parliament need to do more, and fast. They must address period poverty once and for all.
We want a world where no one is at a disadvantage just because they menstruate. Where no one has to make impossible choices between life's essentials. Where period products are freely available - and accompanied by education, normalisation and practical support. Where people aren't facing a #PeriodPenalty just because they menstruate.
This Menstrual Health Day, Sunday 28th May, we’re inviting decision makers in parliament to put periods back on the political agenda through our #PeriodPenalty campaign; addressing and ending period poverty for all. And we need your support.
Help remind your local MP that period poverty is an issue that needs urgent action - not action ‘in due course’ (throwback to the poor response from MPs about the issue of period poverty last year…), but right bleeding now.
So…how do you get involved? Well…
➡️ Write to your MP! We’ve written a handy little email template, so that you can ask your local MP to join us for a special Parliamentary drop-in, on Tuesday 27th June, in under 5 minutes. Head over to our Period Penalty webpage to get started: https://www.bloodygoodperiod.com/period-penalty ➡️ Sign up to our newsletter! Follow along with our emails dedicate to campaigns and activism—and stay up to date with all things #PeriodPenalty, of course: https://mailchi.mp/bloodygoodperiod.com/campaigns
➡️ Donate, babes! As always, we’re hugely bloody grateful for each and every donation that comes our way - that's what keeps up the flow of period products to anyone who needs them: bit.ly/bgpdonate