We love a meaningful brand partnership – so WNBL’s campaign with period poverty initiative Share the Dignity was right up our alley.
Cygnett WNBL has launched its third annual Fighting Period Poverty Round, a dedicated initiative aimed at addressing period poverty in Australia.
It runs from January 22 to January 25, and will see the league and its partners team up to raise awareness and funds for Australian women and girls who go without period products, with products being distributed to such women in need by charity partner Share the Dignity. WNBL players will wear ‘Bloody Good Socks’ during the games this week – with all proceeds from their sale directed to Share the Dignity.
What’s even better is that fans are encouraged to contribute by bringing sanitary items to collection bins at game venues nationwide, while the league will also announce the installation of South Australia’s first dignity vending machine this week.
According to The Bloody Big Survey conducted in 2024, 54% of Australian menstruators have had to change to a less suitable period product due to the cost, while 63% have missed education classes due to their periods.
“As a women’s league we felt strongly about supporting women’s causes. This cause in particular wasn’t getting support from any other sporting leagues or Clubs, and therefore it’s something we wanted to help with,” says Christy Collier-Hill, Head of WNBL.
In terms of the initial response from fans and the wider community, Collier-Hill says the first year of the partnership shocked some people. “Even the word ‘period’ makes some people feel uncomfortable. But that’s all part of it – normalising talking about periods,” she says.
“Heading into year three we feel we’ve really reduced the stigma around periods, as well as having a significant impact on those experiencing period poverty through providing bags of products to those in need, to the installation of a dignity vending machine in Murray Bridge Library in SA last year.”
So, how did they land on Share the Dignity as a partner? “We love what Share the Dignity do, and what they stand for. When we decided to do this round three years ago we reached out to them to ask if they’d partner with us, and they absolutely jumped on in. It’s been wonderful to work with them on this.”
Collier-Hill says that the WNBL feel a special responsibility to drive awareness of issues like period poverty. “We recognise, for everyone that’s part of the WNBL, the we have a unique opportunity to use our voices and platform to effect real social impact and change – and over the past few years we’ve done that through this initiative,” she says.
“Sport has the power of making tangible differences in communities, and we’re really proud of what the WNBL does in this space (this year we’re also delivering a season-long initiative aimed at raising awareness of domestic violence).”
Top photo source: WNBL