Share the Dignity drive on again across Great Southern to source sanitary items for women and girls in need

Great Southern communities are being urged to fill up their trolleys this August to help women and girls facing period poverty. Share the Dignity launched its second collection drive for the year this week, with pink donation boxes springing up at Woolworths stores across the Great Southern until the end of the month. The national donation drives — held in March and August each year — aim to collect period and incontinence products for women and people who menstruate that are facing period poverty, homelessness and domestic violence. Albany-based Share the Dignity WA team leader Asha Bhat said more than 188,900 items had been requested by charities nationally in this year’s drive. More than 41,890 items were requested by charities in WA alone — the second-highest number of requests in the country. Ms Bhat said four charities had put their hand up for donations in the Great Southern requesting more than 1300 products. “I believe that everyone deserves to be afforded the dignity and so many of us take it for granted,” she said. “With an increase in older women experiencing homelessness and poverty, there is an increasing need for incontinence pads from our charities.” Albany MLA Rebecca Stephens has thrown her support behind the cause, urging the community to think of women and girls across the region while shopping by purchasing an extra pack of sanitary products to drop in the pink donation boxes. “Sanitary products are expensive and so the Share the Dignity project aims to support women and girls for whom these products are out of reach by providing them free of charge,” she said. “Being a woman should not be shameful. Women and girls shouldn’t have to miss school or work because they can’t afford sanitary products. “Let’s share the dignity around and lift up all women and girls.” Woolworths is also donating five cents from every period product purchased in August towards the Dignity Vending Machine program which dispenses free period packs at more than 280 locations. There is a vending machine available at the Great Southern Aboriginal Health Service on Serpentine Road. To volunteer or donate to Share the Dignity contact wa.teamleader@sharethedignity.org.au.