Surrey County Council marks Menstrual Health Day
The day also marks the anniversary of the launch of Surrey County Council’s Period Dignity campaign.
Today is World Menstrual Health Day, an annual global event which tackles social stigma and raises awareness about the challenges faced in accessing menstrual products.
Around the world, millions of women and girls are impacted and excluded from opportunities due menstruation.
The movement works to overcome these barriers by providing access to period products and redefine the social stigmas which contribute to their creation.
The day also marks the anniversary of the launch of Surrey County Council’s Period Dignity campaign.
When it started three years ago, Surrey became the first county council in the UK to provide free period products to those in need.
This initiative has been run in partnership with charity Binti international.
This collaboration has allowed the council to provide ‘Binti boxes’ at selected libraries in targeted locations across Surrey.
Essenitally, ‘Binti boxes’ are emergency period kits containing essential sanitary hygiene products.
These can be collected without payment and with relative anonymity by women and girls in need.
It is thought that free period products have never been more important than now, due to the cost-of-living crisis.
The council estimate that the service has been used more than 20,000 times between 2022 and 2023.
Members of the public are also able to contribute to ‘Binti boxes’ by donating period products at the same locations.
Denise Turner- Stewart is cabinet member for customer and communities and deputy leader at Surrey County Council.
She is also the lead of the Period Dignity campaign.
She says that it is not only financial issues which create need for this service:
“There can be cultural challenges, issues with education and social stigma that can affect particularly young people in their accessibility to products.”
“Just to maintain basic hygiene, is an absolute essential necessity and it's always a surprise in this day and age we've still got residents that actually really benefit from something like this.”
She added that as well as providing these crucial products, one of the campaigns key intentions is to break down the stigma associated with menstruation.
“We just need to accept that this is part of the human cycle of physiology.”
“This is something that affects women and girls throughout their life and we need to not be embarrassed.”
“It should just be something that we are very relaxed to be able to just ask for.”
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