Our thoughts on menstrual precarity: collaboration with Monthly Dignity

With Menstrual Health Day fast approaching (May 28), we’re taking the opportunity to tell you a little about period poverty and our collaboration with Monthly Dignity.

Karl and Tim have been thinking about including menstrual products on karavel for some time, but lack of time, discomfort in profiting from an essential necessity, and an embarrassment in trying to sell a product they know nothing about have caused them to procrastinate introducing these products to karavel.

It was following an impromptu meeting with Lara, the founder of Iris + Arlo, at the Manger Santé et Vivre Vert exhibition as well as my inclusion in the team (😁) that they clicked .

Here we are, we finally have menstrual products on karavel.ca! And what's more, all gross profits made with these products will be donated to an organization fighting against period poverty.

So we are really proud to announce our collaboration with Monthly Dignity! It is a local non-profit organization that fights period poverty by tackling its causes and consequences in addition to working for menstrual equity. They will therefore receive 100% of the gross profits (less shipping costs) that we make with the sale of menstrual products during the year 2024.

We talk about our commitment a little further down, but you can find all the details here .

What is period poverty?

Let’s start with the definition: Period poverty occurs when a person who menstruates lacks access to menstrual products, education about them or menstruation in general, hygiene facilities, or waste management necessary for the use of the products. Poverty can therefore take many forms and several factors cause and perpetuate it. These factors include, but are not limited to, financial limitations, social norms, or even harmful attitudes about periods ( 5 ). 

Portrait

• In Canada in 2023 ( 3 , 3 )
• 17% of people who menstruate have personally experienced period poverty
• 20% say they may not be able to afford menstrual products in the next 12 months
• Most affected groups:
  
• Young people
• Single mothers
• Indigenous people
• Racialized communities
• Immigrants
• People experiencing homelessness
• People living with disabilities
• Person of diverse gender identities
• People living in remote areas

In fact, 25% of people who have experienced period poverty in Canada live in households earning less than $40,000 annually ( 5 ). Period poverty can affect anyone, but it is very often linked to poverty.

Menstruation and stigma

We all know someone who finds menstruation disgusting, even as an adult... In fact, 25% of Canadians (2023) believe that periods are dirty and impure. We're also talking about 22% of Canadians (2023) who believe that discussions on this subject and menstrual products have no place in public ( 3 ). Clearly, a significant portion of the population finds periods shocking.

What we find shocking is not menstruation, but rather these statistics. Because their implications go beyond the awkward uncle who just saw a tampon. It is also young people who lack reference points and who are not comfortable seeking help, who miss classes during their periods or even adults who miss days of work.

Fighting this stigma helps normalize menstruation and open up discussion. The best thing to do is to get informed and talk about it!

Precisely, we highly recommend the new documentary series by actress and director Andréanne Théberge Splendeurs, peines et mystères du cycle menstruel . It addresses menstruation without taboos and shows the different realities and facets of it. ( 1 ) I am still surprised by the amount of information I learned, lots of stuff that I would have definitely liked to know in the last twelve years!

Now what can we do?

There are different approaches to combating period poverty, including eliminating the tax on menstrual products, subsidizing and promoting reusable menstrual products, and distributing free menstrual products in schools and workplaces ( 4 ).

In Canada, we still find some of these solutions:

• Since 2015, the GST and QST are no longer applied to menstrual products ( 8 ).
• We also see some cities offering a subsidy for the purchase of menstrual products. This subsidy often covers a fraction of the total price with a maximum amount. It is sometimes for single use and other times annual ( 9 ).
• Since 2023, menstrual products have been distributed free of charge to employees in federal workplaces ( 6 ). We can also see more companies incorporating this practice.

While these are definitely small victories, we find that they have many limitations. Indeed, for subsidies, many cities and sectors do not offer them at all. Among those that do, we note that many do not have enough funds for everyone to have access to them, that not all types of products are covered or that there are sometimes conditions that can represent obstacles to access (eg: having to fill out a follow-up questionnaire on the use of products ( 10 ).

Also, what we find particularly interesting is how companies can also have a huge impact (wink wink). For example, it is in collaboration with companies like Iris + Arlo and Alea that several Quebec companies now offer free menstrual products in their workplace ( 7 ).

There is also the Women on Top initiative from Womance that we find interesting. They offer incentive and educational tools that can be used to facilitate discussion about the availability of free menstrual products in workplaces ( 12 ).

If this is a cause that is close to your heart and you are wondering what you can do to contribute, here is a small, non-exhaustive list of actions that we suggest:

• Educate yourself on the subject and talk about it with those around you
• Ask your city to get involved in the cause by offering grants
• Ask your employer to provide menstrual products in the workplace
• Offer your time or resources to organizations that fight against period poverty

The Karavel commitment

At karavel, we are committed to combating precariousness in two ways: we take the time to educate ourselves and talk about menstruation and we encourage organizations like Dignité mensuel that make a real difference on the ground.

Karl and Tim talk a little more about their reasoning here

Monthly dignity

It is mentioned at the beginning of the article and it is mentioned here: it is Dignité mensuel that will receive all of these profits for the year 2024. It is a non-profit organization founded in 2017 by two McGill University students. Since then, the organization has been fighting against period poverty through three approaches ( 2 ):

1. Access - Provide free menstrual products to various community organizations serving people who menstruate and live in precarious situations
2. Education - Present educational workshops on period poverty to destigmatize and raise awareness
3. Advocacy - Advocating for equitable access to menstrual products to be considered a right rather than a privilege

There is still a lot of work to be done to combat period poverty, and our hearts are filled with hope knowing that it is dedicated teams like theirs who are engaged in this fight. ♥️ We are really happy to collaborate with them!

—Emilie