For many homeless women in Mandurah, spending money on sanitary items for their monthly period would cut into limited resources they’d rather spend on food for their family.
Australian organisation Share the Dignity believes that access to sanitary items should be a right, not a privilege, and during the month of April are running a ‘dignity drive’ to continue the supply of sanitary products to homeless women.
These items are then distributed to a number of local organisations for the homeless, including Halo Team Inc.
Halo Team leader Dee Freitag said the sanitary items make a huge difference to their clients, especially because Share the Dignity often put them into handbag care packs.
“It is good when it comes to the dignity side of things, because people are now able to come up to our van at the soup kitchen and get a bag that has those items in it, and they don’t have to feel embarrassed,” Ms Freitag said.
“[Women] that are homeless and on the street, definitely go without at times....because food is survival, and if you think about it, if you’re on the street and you’re having to buy food, it’s a lot of money.
“[Hygiene] is something that goes amiss... for places like us, we always need women’s toiletries.”
A number of local collection points have been set up around Mandurah, at the following locations: Chemmart Dawesville Pharmacy, Halls Head Pharmacy, Terry White Chemist - Mandurah, Chemmart Peel Pharmacy, Australian Hearing Services - Mandurah, and Chemmart Pinjarra Pharmacy.
For more information on Share the Dignity, visit their website: sharethedignity.com.au
