Digicel Staff Donate to Period Positivity Project

WEDNESDAY 29 MAY 2024, PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO - In recognition of Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, the Digicel Foundation partnered with Soroptimist International Esperance to support their Period Positivity Project. This collaborative initiative will set up a Period Bank to supply period products to 130 girls in need at Picton Presbyterian Primary School, Debe Presbyterian Primary School, and ASJA Girls' College Barrackpore, ensuring that girls never have to miss school due to a lack of access to these essential products.

Digicel staff were asked to make donations of sanitary products from May 20 to 28, and the response was overwhelming with over TT$10,000 worth of products donated.

It’s estimated that as many as two in five women struggle to purchase period supplies due to a lack of income. This is termed ‘period poverty’. Chances are we each know someone who has experienced this need – a neighbour, a co-worker, a friend. Although there are not enough facts to support that this is a cause for concern in Trinidad and Tobago, a recent study conducted with a sample of 504 women between the ages of 18-48 highlighted the challenges women face in accessing affordable period products. The results showed that 76% thought period products were not affordable, while 51% struggled to obtain them; further emphasising the need for legislation and policies to address this issue.

The inability to afford and access menstrual, sanitisation and hygiene products has brought more interest to reusable market products that can reduce costs in the long term. Menstrual cups can last for up to ten years, and one set of reusable cloth pads is equivalent to over 1,000 disposables.

Access to the Period Bank will assist in promoting proper menstrual hygiene care, ultimately enabling girls to remain in school, bolstering their confidence, and, most importantly, enhancing their educational outcomes.