Tampons and pads for homeless women

folamh

Distributing Dignity is an Australian organization which aims to provide basic female hygiene products for homeless women, shelters and prisons. You can donate to them here: http://www.gofundme.com/s2ctb39s

Many Australian women can't afford pads and tampons because they're taxed so highly: http://junkee.com/why-are-australian-women-still-being-penalised-for-getting-their-periods/55917 There seems to be a general trend of female goods and services costing more than male equivalents - cosmetics, razors, clothes, dry cleaning, haircuts, what-have you.

I was wondering whether there's an organization like Distributing Dignity in Ireland, that helps to facilitate menstruation for disadvantaged women. I know that the UK has http://thehomelessperiod.com/

silverfeather

I agree with you. No currently there is no specific program for this. However they give out free condoms.

Sometimes the Simon community etc will put together toiletry boxes that have some. But apart from that it's shameful.

They are forced to make makeshift towels etc. It's unacceptable.

skallywag

folamh wrote: »

I was wondering whether there's an organization like Distributing Dignity in Ireland, that helps to facilitate menstruation for disadvantaged women.

Yes, SVP tackle this issue, though their mandate is obviously not confined to the same.

IvyTheTerrible

Here in France, there isn't an organisation dedicated just to this issue, but the large charity "Restos du coeur" which runs food banks always asks for feminine hygeine products and nappies in their food drives. I always give tampons and nappies in the drives because they are so dear, and everyone gives canned food!

Addle

Would it not be more cost efficient to donate money as the charity can get the vat back on purchases, and on the donation?

IvyTheTerrible

Addle wrote: »

Would it not be more cost efficient to donate money as the charity can get the vat back on purchases, and on the donation?

They get money as well, but the food drives are run twice a year at supermarkets, so maybe it's a way for ordinary people to give something without actually having to think about giving money, I don't know.

Addle

I just think that €5 is worth a lot more to the charity than to me. Of course, you can't be sure what it's spent on.

meeeeh

Addle wrote: »

Would it not be more cost efficient to donate money as the charity can get the vat back on purchases, and on the donation?

I think it Is and frankly charity dedicated only to sanitary products is complete waste of resources. You don't need separate charity with separate administration just distribute tampons.

It is almost heresy to criticize charities but sometimes I got the feeling that a lot of them are started to resolve some personal trauma or keep someone busy.

folamh

meeeeh wrote: »

I think it Is and frankly charity dedicated only to sanitary products is complete waste of resources. You don't need separate charity with separate administration just distribute tampons.

It is almost heresy to criticize charities but sometimes I got the feeling that a lot of them are started to resolve some personal trauma or keep someone busy.

The donation link in OP is not for a charity, but a fundraising drive associated with a charity. Distributing Dignity is a large organization in Australia which distributes bras to poor and homeless women, as well as basic sanitary products. The cause is significant enough to warrant its own charity in my opinion. Female sanitation products are overpriced even though they're a basic need for most women of age, and the under-supply of basic sanitary products in women's prisons and shelters is well-documented. It's not talked about enough, perhaps because of the stigma of discretion surrounding female hygiene and menstruation.

meeeeh

But why not to be part of SVP like organization. They have the same "customers".

folamh

Well, you could say the same about every charity organization which focuses on a specific issue, rather than general humanitarian causes. I don't see why charities which exclusively focus on child poverty, for example, should disband and merge with SVP. SVP is limited, it can't take care of everything. Charities like Distributing Dignity form as a response to a need or a demand that for some reason isn't being fulfilled, and raises awareness about special issues which would otherwise go under the radar.

meeeeh

That is exactly my point. You could disband a whole pile of charities that are doubling up in services, cut costs of administration and use the collected money or whatever more effectively.

iwantmydinner

Sometimes smaller operations run very efficiently compared to big one. Economies of scale can certainly be an advantage, but big organisations are often cumbersome and impersonal. A smaller organisation can take and ideas and turn them into action or results with less hassle.

And personally I don't see the issue with a charity being set up to resolve a personal trauma or something like that.

folamh

Efficiency is a consideration as well as admin costs.

silverfeather

Look lets be honest. It would be the EASIEST thing to solve. Put out public tampons disposal units..some of the hostels don't even have them in toilets. Make them available for the women to collect. People don't think like this. But they ARE a basic necessity for women. And it's in the public's interest to promote public health. Soiled sleeping material on the streets of Dublin from women on the streets is not healthy. A box of 32 tampons per woman per month will cost about five euro. It might last some women two periods depending on how long theirs is. Some wipes to keep clean during that time etc.

It's ridiculously easy. It's not a social issue that you can't solve outright.

LegacyUser

That's a great point.

A friend of mine blogged about this a few months ago. She contacted the Simon Community and they gave her a list of items specific for personal care for homeless women. She got a group of friends and colleagues etc involved popped it up on social media along with the date that she would be donating.

People were exceptionally generous. Most of us had similar "jeez i wouldnt have ever thought of it" reactions. She brought bags upon bags of items over to the Simon Community.

It's a great idea. Spending even a fiver or a tenner 10 on a weekly shop will get a few bits.