Menstrual cup scheme grows
A project to end ‘‘period poverty’’ is gaining momentum, expanding to another Northland town.
The scheme provides women with access to menstrual cups and encourages their use as a relatively-inexpensive and ecofriendly alternative to pads and tampons.
Programme spokeswoman Season-Mary Downs said it was widely adopted when it hit Kawakawa and Moerewa around September, with more than 580 menstrual cups in the community already - and it’s beginning to infiltrate Kaikohe.
‘‘We’ve seen quite a massive conversion in our local two townships, our next target area is Kaikohe.’’
Downs said the magic of the programme was seeing it spread ‘‘organically’’. ‘‘You put a call out and wait for women to come to you. Then through that first wave of women emerge a good number who think that they can convert their friends and family.’’
Downs said not being able to afford sanitary products was linked with people struggling with low incomes or poverty.
‘‘Which is why we talk about ‘period poverty’. The cups on the other hand saves a lot of money, is a huge reduction in environmental waste and aside from that, it’s just liberating.’’
Downs hopes that if the model is successful, it could be used to in other parts of Northland, and ultimately throughout NZ.