Living amidst the rising cost of living sometimes leaves people facing difficult choices created by the financial pressures they face.

One such decision is choosing between buying menstrual products or food.

Access to period products has become more challenging for everyone, especially students, workers, and single parents, due to rising costs from inflation.

Many people struggle to afford both period products and food, and menstrual stigma makes it difficult for people to ask for help.

In response, the United Way BC is working with communities across the province, including the Okanagan, to make it easier for people who menstruate to get through their periods with dignity.

So United Way BC has partnered with Pacific Blue Cross and CUPE Local 186 to initiate the Period Promise campaign from May 1 to 31.

The goals of the campaign are to:

sa国际传媒� Organized a Period Promise campaign to collect menstrual products in a given community, school, workplace or union.

sa国际传媒� Participate in an organizationsa国际传媒檚 Period Promise campaign.

sa国际传媒� Donate online to uwbc.ca/period/promise.

United Way British Columbia (United Way BC) sa国际传媒� working with communities in BCsa国际传媒檚 North, Interior, Lower Mainland and Central & Northern Vancouver Island, wants to make it easier for people who menstruate to get through their periods with dignity.

sa国际传媒淲e recognize that access to menstrual products improves health, restores dignity and fosters community engagement. The impact of period poverty on British Columbians motivated our support for this initiative from its inception,sa国际传媒� said Rob Chiarello, Pacific Blue Cross People & Culture senior vice-president.

Period poverty is widespread across our country, compounded by rising inflation costs, added Beth Miller president, of CUPE 1816.

sa国际传媒淏ut we have an opportunity to change the landscape here in B.C.,sa国际传媒� said Miller.

sa国际传媒淭he United Way Period Promise campaign not only raises awareness about this issue but also contributes to menstrual equity by providing free products for those in need.sa国际传媒�

According to a recent report by UNICEF, 44 per cent of Canadian single parents eat less so their kids can eat.

They are already faced with tough choices and if the household has one or more people who menstruate, expenses to cover their basic needs increase substantially.

The cost of personal care supplies such as tampons and pads has increased by 6.3 per cent, according to the Consumer Price Index released by BC Stats in March.

United Waysa国际传媒檚 research as part of the Period Promise Final Report revealed:

sa国际传媒� More than half of people who menstruate in B.C. have struggled to buy products for themselves.

sa国际传媒� A third of people say they donsa国际传媒檛 know where to buy menstrual products they could afford.

sa国际传媒� The cost of menstrual products is so prohibitive, that many people opt to stay home without products when they have their period so they can buy more food for themselves or their families instead.

The 2024 Period Promise campaign aims to collect up to 500,000 menstrual products through financial and product donations.

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