Period Promise campaign underway in Northern BC

The United Way of Northern BC’s Period Promise campaign is underway for its third year.

The campaign started in Prince George, when the United Way of Northern BC was able to collect over 24,000 menstural hygiene products.

“Year after year, it has grown from us running it in one community, to eleven communities across Northern BC,” said United Way of Northern BC Director of Resource Development Meghan Ginter.

“The goal of the campaign is to reduce stigma around mensturation, and talk about the fact that it is just a natural bodily function, bring awareness to period poverty, and to collect products that will then be distributed to a local agency in every community that the campaign is running in.”

According to a provincial survey, 26 per cent of respondents said they had gone through a period without access to menstural products.

The campaign starts today (Friday), and runs until June 10th, but Ginter said they accept donations any time.

“The easiest way is to go to unitedwaynbc.ca and get a full list of locations where items can be donated, and as well you can go to the website and make a monetary donation,” Ginter said.

In addition, the province is starting a new task force to end period poverty backed by $750,000 in provincial funding.

The task force will be chaired by Nikki Hill, who has volunteered on the Period Promise campaign as a co-chair.

“Volunteering as co-chair of United Way’s Period Promise campaign since 2018 has taught me how common period poverty is in our communities and how much of an impact a lack of menstrual products has on people’s lives,” said Hill.

“I’m looking forward to taking on this new role with the task force while we build on our work and partnerships to eliminate period poverty and level the playing field for all.”

The task force’s key goals will be to develop partnerships with governments, Indigenous partners, businesses, communities, and non-profit organizations to understand and find solutions to period poverty.