What is period equity and why does it matter?
In the face of a lengthy cost-of-living crisis, a 2023 ActionAid poll found that more than 20% of women and people who menstruate in the UK were struggling to afford basic period products. To put a finer point on it, that’s around 2.8 million people nationwide, many of whom have had to prioritise food, gas, electricity or period products for their dependents above their own basic needs.
Needless to say, going without period products can have serious long-term consequences, and not just for the individual. In addition to the many health and wellbeing issues associated, ActionAid found that 14% of people surveyed avoided or missed work during their period. In care settings, these absences – which are often avoidable – can negatively impact employee retention and quality of care.
This is what makes period equity so very important. Everyone who menstruates deserves equal and affordable access to the products, facilities and education they need to manage their periods safely and with dignity. And yet, studies have shown that 87% of women have been caught in a public toilet without a period product. That’s unacceptable. So, what can be done?
Tackling period equity one pad at a time
Already, the wider care community is beginning to go further to embrace period equity. Today, there’s broader recognition that people who menstruate may need emergency access to period products to preserve their own health, dignity and wellbeing.
That’s why CareHomeLife has partnered with Egal Pads on a Roll for a brand-new initiative. These individually wrapped pads, which can be installed directly inside toilet cubicles, are a simple way for care providers to make free period products readily and discreetly available to visitors and care workers in their time of need.
So far, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with one user describing the pads as a ‘godsend’. It’s a perfect example of the practical steps providers can take to democratise pads, ensuring care workers have access throughout a lengthy shift.
What’s clear, however, is that period equity should never be an afterthought. It absolutely deserves to be on the agenda, and by adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach, care providers and suppliers can ensure their staff and visitors have access to pads, should the sudden need arise.
To find out more about CareHomeLife’s Pads on a Roll initiative, click here.
