Period poverty
A few years ago , I was shocked to read in a BBC article that girls in the UK have to miss school as they cannot afford period products . The widespread prevalence of period poverty is appalling : one in ten girls in the UK do not have adequate access to period products . No one was talking about this problem due to the stigma around periods .
In September , I founded a PERIOD chapter to fight period poverty , tackle the stigma around periods and lobby for menstrual equity . Our chapter now includes 15 students who work collaboratively to achieve our goals . Our fundraising team ( coordinated by Jennifer Thomas and Miranda McQuail , both Year 11 ) has raised over £ 2000 through bake sales and online fundraisers for Bloody Good Period to support asylum seekers and refugees with hygiene products . The education team ( Alicia Ismail and Ece Tumer , both Year 11 ) is creating educational resources on periods for PSHE lessons . We use our large social media platform ( managed by Saniya Patel , Lower Sixth and Trinity Pointon , Year 11 ) to inform and educate our followers about period poverty . In partnership with menstrual activists , we have launched a petition to urge the UK government to assist underfunded charities supporting people who menstruate . We have used graphics designed by Ece to advertise our campaign and have over 530 signatures at the time of writing .
In order to raise more funds for Bloody Good Period , I started Period Equality Together ( PET ), a period care subscription service in the form of a social enterprise . Subscribers within the school community receive a monthly box containing eco-friendly Freda period products , self-care items and empowering notes . Each box raises £ 2 for Bloody Good Period thus creating a continuous and predictable flow of fundraising . Since launching , PET has donated over £ 1100 to support 600 women with 12,000 pads . PET was the joint winner at the Sevenoaks School Social Enterprise Competition and finished as runner-up in the Peter Jones Foundation ’ s Tycoon Enterprise Competition , also earning the Business for Good Award .
Despite the pandemic , my team and I are pleased to have been able to continue the fight for equal access to period products and will continue to do so .
Christiane Gontarek , Lower Sixth
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2019-2020 69