May 5, 2022 — Press release from United Way Halton & Hamilton

United Way Halton & Hamilton’s Period Promise initiative introduces a new awareness campaign to help fight period poverty locally        

Nearly one in four Canadian women have struggled to buy period products for themselves or their children. Menstruating transgender and non-binary individuals face additional barriers to accessing period products. Since launching in 2019, UWHH’s Period Promise has collected more than 160,000 menstrual hygiene products and distributed them to vulnerable people.

United Way Halton & Hamilton (UWHH) has launched its 2022 Period Promise menstrual equity initiative, including a new advocacy campaign to help raise awareness of period poverty in our community. The project features a Period Promise Red Dot poster, encouraging community members and local businesses to talk about and support this important issue.

The campaign’s call to action is “Empower. Advocate. Donate.” and the poster includes a QR code to UWHH’s website for more information on how to get involved.    

“We know there are too many people in our community who face barriers to accessing essential menstrual hygiene products,” says Brad Park, UWHH President and CEO. “It’s a matter of health, dignity and social inclusion to help ensure everyone who needs period products has them, and to advocate for barrier-free access to products in community.”

United Way’s campaign empowers community members to get involved by displaying the Red Dot poster in their workplace, public-facing windows and on social media. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to donate product, or organize a product drive in workplaces and community. Menstrual hygiene products collected though Period Promise are distributed to local agencies serving clients in need across Halton and Hamilton.   

Local businesses and organizations can also support menstrual equity in our community by signing United Way’s Period Promise Policy and providing free period products in washrooms, in the same way they provide toilet paper and hand soap.

Visit http://www.uwhh.ca/periodpromise for more information and details on how to get involved.