Holding out for a ‘shero’ — Great Southern dignity drive to help women and girls facing period poverty

Next time you are filling your trolley at the supermarket, spare a thought for the one in five West Australian women who have to make their own period products because they can’t afford to buy them.

Bright pink boxes are popping up at the front of stores across the Great Southern to collect donations of period and incontinence products to be distributed to local charities to give to women and girls in need.

The bright collection points are for Share the Dignity’s national August drive to support women and girls facing period poverty, homelessness and domestic violence.

Share the Dignity WA team leader Asha Bhat said 37,500 products had been requested from across WA, with six Great Southern charities requesting 2000 products ahead of this year’s donation drive.

“In the Great Southern region, the collection points are at Dog Rock Woolworths, Chester Pass Mall, Bayonet Head, and Katanning Woolworths stores,” she said.

“People can make a difference in the lives of women and girls by dropping any period care items at any of our collection points at Woolworths supermarkets.

“Since COVID-19, donations are down by 50 per cent, but the charities’ requests have gone up by 30 per cent.”

Ms Bhat said new volunteers, called “sheroes”, were needed to don pink shirts to help reach women and girls in need across the Great Southern region.

“WA is a big region to cover and we are calling for volunteers to make a difference in the lives of women and girls,” Ms Bhat said.

“Use your voice by raising awareness of period poverty and the need that is in our communities to ensure that women and girls have access to period products.”

For information, contact wa.teamleader@sharethedignity. org.au.