Share the Dignity

If selected as the winner, Share the Dignity would ensure continuous support of people experiencing period poverty. Whilst the money is exceptionally enticing, I believe the major impact would be the learnings from other leaders and support program. This kind of impact on our charity in Australia could help us ensure that every girl, every woman, everywhere in Australia has access to the very basic of essentials that most of us take for granted.

Whilst Share the Dignity has come so far since its inception, we have such a long way to go. As a young charity, we are committed to utilising every opportunity we are provided with, to ensure the greatest impact. As we start to extend our impact globally, with our Global Period Poverty Forum, this program would enable us to support and nurture underrepresented communities and inevitably remove the negative stigmas associated with menstruation. This will ensure that women and girls are not facing disadvantages simply because of their period.

This Elevate prize could benefit not only myself/Share the Dignity but also so many people in need and other leaders around the world addressing period poverty. Win, win really!

I am the Founder and Managing Director, but proudly known as the ‘Pad Lady.’ When reading an article in 2015, I learnt that people experiencing homelessness were going without period products, making this sacrifice for food and shelter. I decided the question was not, “why is no one doing anything” but rather, “what’s stopping me from doing something?”

From this simple thought, I was able to rally my local community which has now grown into a national charity with over 5500 volunteers sharing my passion.

My personal experience with domestic violence in my own family, means that I identify and empathise with the people we support. My personal experiences have taught me the power of women supporting women, and that is what makes Share the Dignity so strong.

Of course, I one day hope that period poverty and domestic violence is a tragic concept of the past, but in the meantime, we will continue to empower women and girls to have the dignity they deserve.

The work of Share the Dignity will not be complete until no person has to sacrifice managing their period to prioritise another essential item and there is no shame in seeking support to do so.

To date we have provided close to 3 million period products to Australians who would otherwise go without.

We know that period poverty is a multifaceted issue but with a lack of data in this space, it is difficult to target our work where it is needed most. We know that period poverty is bigger than not being able to access period products.

We have undertaken research into our more vulnerable communities and identified that for us to truly end period poverty, we need to unpack the shame and stigma that is associated with menstruation, change the narrative through education for all women, girls, men and boys, supported by advocacy at all government levels to create change.

This year we launched a survey, ‘Period Pride’ which is projected to become the largest data collection on periods globally, with over 25,000 respondents. This data will help highlight the experiences of menstruation and the disadvantages placed upon those who menstruate. As of May 04, 2021, we can see that because of their periods, of the survey respondents, 68.9% have missed out on going to school, 68.7% have missed out on going to work and 83.2% have missed out on participation in sports.

With the work we are doing, unaddressed previously across the world, we had no choice but to be innovative as there was no one to take learnings from. I knew it had to be easy to donate and that the power of our volunteers (Sheroes and Heroes) were our greatest assets. Successfully setting up these volunteers as advocates and skilled local knowledge experts would ensure a strong presence in local communities. This developed an Australia-wide momentum. We are proud to say that over 5500 people in Australia now advocate and act on our behalf.

Our Dignity Vending Machines, were a world first innovation, having a non-commercial purpose and including a timing mechanism to limit wastage.

As a result of our advocacy and consultancy work, each Australian state and territory has introduced a period poverty plan.

In 2020, we launched our survey ‘Period Pride’ which, whilst the data is focused on Australia, will provide strong insights into the extent that factors such as cultural backgrounds impact menstruation experiences. This can be translated to shed light on any disadvantaged community, globally.  

Our Global Period Poverty Forum will create the perfect environment to begin works on a global blueprint to end period poverty.

Share the Dignity is all about ensuring that everyone is afforded the dignity in life we all deserve. When I first heard that women who were experiencing homelessness were having to use wadded up toilet paper, socks, or newspaper to deal with their period, I was shocked this was happening in Australia, a country we call the lucky.  The problem was so much greater than I ever imagined, after hearing from a young, 14-year-old girl when she fled a home of violence to live on the streets, who knew to go into a laundromat to steal socks to deal with her period.

What is less dignified stealing or going without to deal with your period?

Access to sanitary items should be a right Not a privilege.

Our steps to achieve this:

1.           Create awareness this problem exists

2.           Remove the shame and stigma around menstruation

3.           Advocate for change to educate both girls and boys in our schools

4.           We have facilitated an easy way for Australians to donate to ensure that women and girls do not go without sanitary items.

5.           The Dignity Vending Machines are installed to ensure that easy access to period products is available.