An Isle of Wight Councillor is to propose a motion before the Isle of Wight Council’s Full Council meeting next Wednesday (21st November) to raise awareness and support of the reality of period poverty for many young women on the Island.
Cllr Michael Lilley is working in partnership with the Red Box Project – Isle of Wight to make everyone aware that young women on the Isle of Wight are experiencing period poverty – a phrase created to describe the inability to properly take care of menstrual needs due to financial or social reasons.
Set up in September 2018, The Red Box Project – Isle of Wight is a community project which aims to tackle period poverty by ensuring that no young Island woman misses school or suffers embarrassment because she has her period and lacks access to menstrual products.
The project encourages people in the local community to get involved and donate menstrual towels, tampons, small packs of wipes and new appropriate pants. These are then collected from donation points across the Island and redistributed into Red Boxes and placed into Island schools. The Red Box is accessible through an appropriate member of school staff and posters placed in the toilets and on notice boards signpost the Red Box, its contents and location.
Girls can take whatever they need from the Red Box, whenever they need it – it is not just for emergencies, rather the box supports girls who need it through the entirety of their period.
Katharine Spencer-Brown, co-ordinator of the project says:
“We know from recent research that girls are suffering embarrassment, missing lessons and days of school because they do not have access to sufficient menstrual protection. The study by Plan International UK revealed that 68% of girls are unable to fully concentrate in school due to worrying about not having access to the toilet or suitable menstrual products. Girls are having to use toilet roll, socks and even newspaper as a means to manage menstruation.
“I am delighted that Cllr Lilley is raising this issue with the Isle of Wight Council and I ask that it will follow other the lead of other Councils in England by providing free menstrual products in all the Island schools. We cannot have young Island women missing their education!”
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Cllr Lilley has said:
“I have put a motion to IW Council to support the Red Box Project as it is importantly tackling a hidden outcome of the reality of poverty.
“Young women on the Island should not be in a position of not being able to go to school due to their families not being able to afford menstrual products which are expensive and families have to make a decision between food or such products. It is totally unacceptable and I am so grateful for that the IW Red Box Project is courageously bringing this issue to the Island community’s attention.
“I am continually campaigning on raising the issues and realities of poverty on the Island and grateful to raise this reality to my Councillor colleagues and look forward to their unanimous support.
“I have Ryde Foodbank in my ward and annually raise awareness of and fundraising support for their important life saving work and now wish to include the support for the Red Box Project in my annual campaign.”
