When you think of SXSW, one of the world's biggest tech and entertainment festivals, chances are period poverty isn't the first thing you'd probably think of.
Well, that's changing from this week. Today, a coalition of leading organisations that we all know and love - consisting of The Cova Project, Kin Fertility, and TABOO - have teamed up for a new initiative, Seeing Red. The timely campaign is aimed at highlighting the growing issue of period poverty in Australia and across the globe - starting with SXSW Sydney, where a giant menstrual cup and giant tampon will be roaming the conference halls in Darling Harbour.
If that doesn't a spark conversation and action around menstrual equity and highlight the underrepresented issue of period poverty amongst innovators and influencers - then we're not sure what will?
“This is about more than raising awareness – it’s about showcasing how Australians can take meaningful action to end period poverty today,” says Geena Dunne, Founder of The Cova Project - a charity providing safe sanitary care to women in communities across Africa. “The Cova Project has ended period poverty for over 25,000 girls across Africa. A donation of just $25 can do that for a girl. If you believe that girls deserve access to a full and equal education, it’s step one towards achieving that."
In the unlikely chance you're not across this critical issue already - period poverty refers to a lack of access to menstrual products, menstrual health education, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities which affects 500 million menstruators worldwide. Globally, evidence shows that period poverty leads to school absenteeism, transactional sex for period products and increases the risk of child marriage, teen pregnancy and diminished self-worth.
It's not just a problem facing menstruators overseas. In Australia alone, 64% of menstruators struggle to afford period products, and a recent survey found that 30% have worn a tampon for more than four hours due to costs. It was also found that 5% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were unable to afford period products in the last 12 months.
“As a society, we have the means to end period poverty – it’s just a matter of bringing the conversation into the open and pushing for change,” stated Nicole Liu, Founder of Kin Fertility. “This activation is designed to be impossible to ignore, just like the issue of period poverty itself and Kin is so proud to be a part of that.” Missing Perspectives agrees that it's an issue warranting a lot more attention than it already receives.
“We’re ready to facilitate the change,” said Eloise Hall, co-founder of TABOO. “And we’re excited to inspire SXSW attendees to become the ‘advocates for change’ that we need, to make a collective decision to end period poverty.”
We really hope so too - and let's hope activations like these really help shift the dial and get this issue the attention it deserves.