4 August 2021
Period products are a right, not a privilege
We’re giving girls the support and essentials they need to manage their period with dignity and stay in school.
Supporting girls with periods to stay in school
Being able to manage your period should be a right, not a privilege. Through our Cotton On Foundation supported schools, we’re giving girls the essentials they need to manage their period with dignity, and help to break down the stigma and shame keeping girls away from school because of their periods.
Since 2017, we’ve distributed over 11,000 sanitary packs through various partnerships across Thailand, South Africa, and Uganda. Alongside menstrual hygiene education, the packs vary slightly by region and include reusable pads, underwear, washcloths, soap and carry pouches.
With COVID-19 forcing school closures in the last year, it was super important that we continued to support girls to manage their periods. In South Africa, we distributed 826 Empower Packs to students from Dr JL Dube High School and Ethekwini Primary School. Each pack included six reusable pads, three pairs of underwear, a roll-on deodorant, a bar of soap, a facecloth, and a copy of ‘My Body #NoShame’, a fun and interactive menstrual health education book by Dignity Dreams. By taking period education beyond the classroom and into the community, girls are empowered with the tools they need to manage their periods upon returning to school.
“I am happy to be given a pack of sanitary pads, I didn’t have anything to use and my parents can’t afford them.”
— Student, Uganda
As schools start to re-open, girls are still at risk of not returning to their education, because of increased domestic responsibilities and the focus for many families shifted to generating income. Periods are yet another obstacle for girls returning to school, but they don’t have to be. Our goal is to ensure that every girl enrolled in a Cotton On Foundation supported school receives a sanitary pack upon returning to the classroom, so that they’re empowered to manage their period with dignity.
You're doing so good
You’re making a difference with every Cotton On Foundation purchase. 100% of proceeds go towards empowering youth through quality education and wellbeing projects.
