Mar 17th, 2017
Period Poverty in Leeds
By Rachel Whalley
It’s almost impossible to believe. School girls in Leeds are missing out on their education because they can’t afford tampons and sanitary towels. They’re relying on homemade sanitary products that make them too embarrassed or worried to go to school.
This shouldn’t be happening in Britain in 2017. And exam season is just around the corner so every day missed now, could mean the difference between girls passing or failing their exams.
It’s shocking, but we can do something about it. If thousands of us chip in a couple of pounds for a box of tampons or sanitary towels now, we can make sure that girls in Leeds can go to school. A small action like this could change someone’s future.
Please will you chip in a couple of pounds now? Donate here.
The story is all over the news. One girl told the BBC that she started her periods at 11 and took a few days off school every month. She said “I didn’t get any money because my mum was a single parent and she had five mouths to feed, so there wasn’t much leftover money in the pot to be giving to us.”
There are questions to answer about why this is happening and how we can stop it. But what’s important right now is making sure girls can go to school to finish their education. No girls should miss out on school because she can’t afford tampons and sanitary towels.
A box of tampons is just a small thing but it can make the world of difference to a girl who’s worried about using homemade sanitary care.
Can you chip in now to make sure every girl in Leeds can go to school, no matter how much money she has? Donate here.
The 38 Degrees office team will work with charities, businesses and schools to find the best way of reaching girls in Leeds who need sanitary products. For example, here are some charities we could work with:
The Trussell Trust:
Freedom 4 Girls: