For homeless women, a period can be a nightmare. This campaign aims to change that indy100 indy100 Indy100 logoNewsletter sign upRegister/Sign inTop 100NewsViralPoliticsCelebritiesScience & TechVideoWishlistWishlistBooksFashion & BeautyFood & DrinkHome & GardenKidsSports & FitnessTechTravel & OutdoorsMoreScience & techVideoConversationsSportIdentitiesLifestyleShowbizTVSearchxNews

For homeless women a period can be a nightmare This campaign aims to change that

Dina RickmanMar 30, 2015 Periods can be messy and uncomfortable for everyone who has them – but imagine having to cope with one while homeless. Limited access to sanitary products means homeless women are often forced to choose between buying tampons or food. A new campaign is trying to change all that. Sara, Oli and Josie, who met while interning at an ad company, are petitioning for the government – whoever they may be after May – to give homeless shelters an allowance to buy sanitary products. Until then, they are urging people to donate tampons or sanitary towels to their nearest homeless shelter. The petition launched on Friday and so far nearly 2,000 people have signed. Esther Sample, Women’s Strategy Manager at homelessness charity St Mungo’s Broadway, told i100.co.uktheir figures show one in 11 people sleeping rough in London is a woman - and they do provide sanitary towels to women. “Our female clients have told us that managing your period on top of many other issues can be an extra problem. For women who are rough sleeping, or in more hidden homelessness situations this can be even harder." Speaking to i100.co.uk, Sara said she had talked about periods more in the last few weeks more than any other time in her life, after being inspired by an Vice article which detailed how difficult it was for homeless women who had periods. “When you put yourself in that situation you can't stop thinking about it,” Sara said. “It seems absolutely ridiculous. Anyone in the UK can get free access to contraception but someone can be in a position when you can't get access to feminine hygiene products.” A hostel put the trio in touch with Patricia who voiced the video below – produced with help from ad agency BBH. If a man could get razors anywhere, which a man could, then why can’t a woman get sanitary towels anywhere? More: Periods: the final taboo for women in sport?

Tory MP thinks Bank of England ' conspiring' against government

The government' s new Public Order Bill bill is seriously messed up

Robert Peston accidentally calls Jeremy Hunt a ' c***'

Please log in or register to upvote this article

Top 100

Liz Truss has resigned as prime minister - the best memes and reactions

liz trussprime ministerresignedmemesjokesliz truss1h

The Daily Star' s lettuce officially outlasted Liz Truss

liz trussresignationlettucedaily starliz truss52m

5 things that lasted longer than Liz Truss in 10 Downing Street

liz trussresigndowning streetdavid blaineliz truss3m

Even Scaramucci is gloating about how long Liz Truss was in office

Liz TrussTwitteranthony scaramucciLiz Truss7m

Man endures ' 29 hour flight' with screaming kids for the entire trip

flightplanechildflightOct 12, 2022

Lorraine Kelly hits out at Madonna' s ' boiled egg' face

madonnamadonnalorraine kellygmbshowbizplastic surgeryOct 11, 2022

Elon Musk is actually selling a ' Burnt Hair' fragrance

elon muskthe boring companyperfumeelon muskburnt hairOct 12, 2022

Jon Stewart slams Arkansas attorney general for her ' anti-trans law'

lgbt+transgenderlgbt+jon stewartapple tvarkansasus newsnewsOct 11, 2022

Couple spark debate for ' scandalous' wedding cake topper

wedding cakeOct 12, 2022

Love Island star shows extent of how far influencers edit photos

Love IslandOct 11, 2022

Steven Seagal describes Putin as one of ' greatest world leaders'

steven seagalOct 10, 2022

Lizzo wears empowering shirt after being fat-shamed by Kanye West

lizzoOct 10, 2022

14 of the worst things the Tories did this week

liz trussOct 08, 2022

A lettuce just outlasted Liz Truss' stint as prime minister

Liz Truss53mThe Conversation (0)