End Period Poverty and Give Girls, Women Hope

While the school year looks undoubtedly different in every classroom - and living room - around the country, it's important to consider the impact this is having on women and girls.

Women are reportedly experiencing more economic difficulty during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For the last 22 years, extreme poverty globally had been declining. Then came COVID-19, and with it, massive job losses, shrinking of economies and loss of livelihoods, particularly for women," says Ginette Azcona, lead author of UN Women’s latest report From Insights to Action and UN Women’s Senior Research and Data Specialist in this UN Women article. "Weakened social protection systems have left many of the poorest in society unprotected, with no safeguards to weather the storm."

There are a number of factors, according to the article, that make the pandemic much more drastic for women and girls:

• Women tend to earn less.
• Women have fewer savings.
• Women are disproportionately more in the informal economy.
• Women have less access to social protections.
• Women are more likely to be burdened with unpaid care and domestic work, and therefore have to drop out of the labour force
• Women make up the majority of single-parent households.

This means moms and girls are in need this school year. This year, through the end of October, we've distributed 477,916 period products to 13.109 girls and women in need. This essential support means moms are more able to help their kids with virtual school - if that's how their district is operating - and girls are able to focus without worrying about their menstrual cycles.

Thanks to our supporters for continuing to make this happen.

In the last year, 1 in 4 women have struggled to purchase period products, according to the Alliance for Period Products. As COVID-19 continues to take its toll, access to period products is difficult, between financial struggles and access to stores or other resources.

Jake’s Diapers has acted as a bridge during this pandemic to transport essential products to community organizations serving the populations most in need. This ensures community programs are able to provide the additional support individuals and families need to thrive. Demand for our services has increased substantially, and from March through May 2020, we distributed 113,600 period products to 3,167 girls and women in need.

These products are so very important to women and girls struggling financially, a problem that may be spiraling because of the pandemic.

“We’ve got girls coming in off the streets who have their period that month or just got it and they’ve got nothing,” said Kim Juve of Pillars, a homeless shelter and low income resource center. “Being able to hand them this stuff … clean pants, clean underwear — in a discreet way and then provide the hygiene products,” is so impactful.

Thank you for your support in helping us deliver these products to girls and women around the world.