Plea for women facing period poverty
Women and girls in Gaza are getting infections as period products become scarce.
More than 1.9 million people have been displaced in Gaza since October 2023 due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, with an estimated 1 million being women and girls, according to UN Women, a United Nations organisation focused on women.
Roughly 2.2 million people were in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse, and with limited resources available the need for humanitarian aid was increasing.
As the founder of Reemi, a nongovernmental organisation working to alleviate period poverty across the globe, Emily Au-Young was calling on Kiwis to help fight period poverty in Gaza as thousands of women struggle to receive period products.
“On top of the horrors of war, they’re facing a severe shortage of period products,” she said.
Reemi received a humanitarian grant from the United Kingdom to supply up to 5000 people with period products, but thousands more needed help, she said.
“We’ve heard stories of girls resorting to using tissues, or washing and reusing single-use pads.
“So women and girls are dealing with infections and health complications, not to mention shame and embarrassment.
“Infection and shame should be one less thing women and girls have to deal with in an already traumatising situation.”
Au-Young, who was originally from Palmerston North, developed the idea for Reemi in 2015 when she was working with an aid organisation helping Syrian refugees.
She became aware of the infections among women and girls due to a lack of period products then, and was seeing similar impacts for displaced people in Gaza.
Au-Young hoped the products would bring them relief and return some dignity.
“It will also result in less waste and therefore less infection and disease in crowded camps, and is better for the environment than single-use products.”
Au-Young said Reemi would be sending durable period underwear that was antimicrobial and would last the 5000 recipients for years, alongside washing and drying bags.
However, her goal was to send supplies to up to 10,000 people, but to do that, she needed to raise at least $165,000 for the cause.
“Our message to New Zealanders is that you can help one woman in need today,” she said.
“For just thirty-three dollars you can provide the practical solution of four pairs of reusable period underwear, but it’s also much more than that, you will provide dignity in a really tough situation.”
Donations could be made at reemi.org.