Feminine protection brand Always is continuing its outreach efforts by providing thousands of girls across Jamaica with sanitary pads to help improve access and meet their monthly needs.

For the fourth consecutive year, feminine protection brand Always will continue its outreach efforts by providing thousands of girls across Jamaica with sanitary pads, to help improve access and meet their monthly needs.

This year, the aim is to donate over 200,000 sanitary pads to 14 schools (one in each parish) as the world continues to face the harsh realities of the COVID-19 pandemic which exacerbated conditions like unemployment and high food prices. As a result, period products are usually not at the top of the priority list in many households. For teenage girls especially, not having period protection can affect their mental well-being, impacting school attendance, academic results and social activities like sports and clubs. In some instances, many girls end up missing up to one year of school throughout their school life, which limits their potential to excel far beyond puberty.

OPPORTUNITY
The Always End Period Poverty campaign was officially launched in March and will run until June. During this time, consumers have the opportunity to get involved with the initiative. Every Always purchase triggers a donation. For every pack of Always pads purchased, the company will in turn directly donate to a girl in need.

HerFlow Foundation will once again partner with Always to assist with the distribution of the 200,000 plus pads. HerFlow has been the foremost authority in Jamaica on period poverty, consistently raising awareness of the issue and executing multiple outreach programmes to communities and females in need. They will assist in ensuring the donations of Always pads are distributed to the young girls at the schools.

As part of the campaign, a host of social media influencers will be engaged to help increase awareness, educate and advocate for the needs of girls and women facing period poverty. Some of this year’s influencers are Yendi Phillips, Natoya Goule, Mekelia Green, Sanneta Myrie and Kalilah Reynolds.

Tamara Thompson, general manager at Consumer Brands Limited (local distributor of Always), said, “It is distressing to know that some girls have to turn to unsafe alternatives like toilet paper, rags, and newspaper to manage their periods, and then end up missing out on school and classes. Lack of access to period products should never stand in the way of a girl and her education. Always remains committed to ensuring that all girls are able to confidently go to school. We will continue to take action to help end period poverty. Together, let’s dismantle the stigmas around menstruation and help our girls realise their full potential.”