United Way BC is working with communities throughout the province, including Northern BC, to make access to period products easier for those in need.
Many people struggle to afford period products and menstrual stigma makes it difficult for people to ask for help.
The United Way BC Period Promise Campaign goes throughout the month of May and is asking for the community's help.
“There are people experiencing period poverty who are making the choice between food and menstrual products and that should not be happening,” Lorna Bihori, campaign manager at United Way BC of Northern BC, said.
The 2024 campaign aims to collect up to 500,000 menstrual products through financial and product donations.
“We have six public collection sites in Prince George," Bihori said.
The collection sites include City Hall, all four Save On Foods locations, and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
“Even if people haven’t experienced period poverty almost everyone has been caught without product – it happens,” Bihori said. “More women are working in the trades now, working on a job site – in mines and remote camps – in fact, we have Mount Milligan signed on with us and have committed to providing product to anyone who comes on site.”
The University of Northern BC has also committed to keeping their Period Promise, Bihori added.
“Students are realizing that when you’ve left home to go to college and university and you never had to budget for stuff like that it can be a struggle," Bihori said. When your parents always provided it and it was always in the bathroom, it didn’t cross your mind and now you’re between pay days, you're by yourself, and there are those who are struggling financially and this is why this campaign has become very, very important to us.”
United Way BC has done the research and on average people menstruate for three to seven days each month between the ages of 13 and 51.
"That is 38 years of your life and that means about $17,000 is spent on product in a lifetime," Bihori said.
"The Canadian government deemed it a luxury item so it was taxed as such."
Residents in smaller communities in Northern BC can see products cost about three times the amount as what is available in bigger centres and there is a lot less variety available in remote communities, too, Bihori said.
“This is a natural bodily function that is part of life and we need everyone to feel safe and secure to carry on with their lives,” Bihori said.
United Way BC’s 2024 Period Promise campaign, presented by Pacific Blue Cross in partnership with CUPE Local 1816, gives everyone an opportunity to help tackle period poverty by dropping off menstrual products in the community or donating online at www.uwbc.ca/periodpromise.
“Every donation made locally in any community stays local,” Bihori said. “They go to a local agency to be redistributed back into the community. So it’s all about local helping local.”
