We all know how inconvenient and expensive it is to stock up on period products every month, but we didn't know just how bad it is for Kiwis who menstruate - until now.
Woolworths NZ surveyed over 1000 Kiwis to get more of an idea of how tough it is to pay for period products in a cost of living crisis - and the results are seriously shocking.
They also grilled The Period Place for key information, and CEO Danika Revell revealed the average menstruator uses around 900 packs of single-use period products in their lifetime.
To put it into perspective, the trolley in the pic below has 100 packs, so the average person uses at least 9 full small Woolworths trolleys of products.
The Period Place's CEO Danika Revell holding a trolley of 100 period product packs
If we break that down, 900 packs of hygiene products across the average 450 menstrual cycles in a lifetime is looking at two packs per period…
TBH, I’m wondering why packs aren’t catering to a single average menstrual cycle - but that’s a convo for another day.
I did some quick math using supermarket prices, and standard packs of pads, tampons, and panty liners average out to about $6.49 each.
Multiply that by 900 and you’re looking at a minimum of $5,841 spent on period products alone.
But not everyone can afford that many - or sometimes, any at all. According to the survey, a whopping 36% of Kiwis aged 16-54 have had times when they couldn’t afford period products.
Like many of us, Revell is NOT impressed by the numbers:
“Too many people can’t afford basic period products, and it’s a bloody disgrace." - Danika Revell.
And that’s just scraping the surface - not including costs from the likes of pain relief, underwear, and additional purchases involved with menstruating.
Almost half of those surveyed said their period straight-up causes financial stress.
It's not just about money, either - 66% of participants said they worry about how they’ll get products when they’re caught off guard. It just goes to show how important having products accessible to everyone is.
“We aren’t expected to bring our own toilet paper to work, or restaurants, or other public spaces and period products should be the same,” Revell says.
She adds: “We want to see every bathroom – in and out of the home – stocked with period products so they’re readily available for people who need them.”
From now until September 8th, Woolworths and several period hygiene brands will donate products to The Period Place for every participating item we purchase.
So when you’re grabbing your U By Kotex, Libra, Carefree, or whatever your go-to is, you’re also helping out someone who’s struggling to afford the basics.
And to top it all off, the supermarket is making a $20,000 cash donation to The Period Place to help alleviate period poverty for some of the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who need it.
