One in ten girls and women does not have enough money for products such as sanitary towels or tampons. That is why ‘MenstruWeek’ was created: to draw attention to menstrual poverty in the city. As part of the initiative, UvA students are handing out boxes with tampons and sanitary towels to catering establishments.
According to Esther van Duin, initiator of the ‘MenstruWeek’, too few people are aware of menstrual poverty. According to her, tampons and sanitary pads should be easy to get for free. “We want people to think it’s normal that menstrual products belong in the toilet, just like toilet paper.” Also, she says, “We want every toilet owner to realize that with having a toilet comes a bit of responsibility for customers with a uterus.”
Text continues below the photo.
“I think it’s great that there are free products for menstruation, not everyone has the option to buy them”
‘MenstruBoxes’
Van Duin would like to see schools, bars, gyms and other institutions offer free menstrual products in so-called ‘MenstruBoxes’, boxes containing tampons and sanitary towels. To lead by example, they go into town with a group of volunteers to give the boxes to restaurants and cafes. The places where free menstrual products are offered are also bundled in the ‘MenstruMap’, “so that women can always see where they can go”, according to one of the volunteers.
Text continues below the photo.
Walk of shame
The owner of a cake shop on the Javastraat is happy with the ‘MenstruBox’: “I think it’s fantastic what they are doing and that it is here now. It should be much more normalized.” She sometimes got the question from guests if there were tampons. “Then we ran back to get it out of our bag, but now that it’s here, they don’t have to walk of shame no more and ask the staff.”
One of the guests is also enthusiastic about the initiative. “I think it’s really great that there are free products for menstruation, not everyone has the option to buy them.” And that is precisely why the organization of ‘MenstruWeek’ believes it should be on the municipal agenda. Gaby Akkrum, owner of the cake shop, agrees. “Perhaps it is something for the government to promote and encourage that compensation is created.” But if not, she says, no problem either, “I will bear the costs myself.”
? Don’t want to miss anything from Amsterdam?
Seen a typo? Let us know at [email protected]