Dignity is a state of being honored or respected, and when confronted with the idea of women facing period poverty, Brisbane local Rochelle was unable to stand idly by and Share the Dignity was founded.
Share the Dignity is a charity dedicated to making a difference in the lives of women facing adversity, by removing any obstacles to them having access to period care. Rochelle began by single-handedly collecting and donating menstrual products to shelters, after realizing the question she needed to ask herself was not, “why is no one doing anything” and instead, “what’s stopping me from doing something?”
Since this local collection of pads, Share the Dignity has gone on to assist in abolishing the ‘pink tax’ on menstrual products, installed nearly 700 free period care vending machines around Australia, received and distributed more that 4.4 million products via the Dignity Drive bins you may have seen at your local supermarket. That is just the beginning of the charities long list of achievements, and their continued passion to provide meaningful change now extends beyond providing menstrual care.
In 2021, Share the Dignity launched the Bloody Big Survey to begin monitoring changes each in the experiences and attitudes of Australians and periods. This ongoing research will see the survey repeat every 3 years, meaning it is back in 2024 with a focus on assessing the physical, social and financial impacts of menstruation and period poverty rates.
This data intends to inform the charities work, not only guiding them in what services and support Australians require but also to potentially inform policy and health frameworks with such details menstruation data.
The survey takes just 5 minutes to complete and is open for the duration of March for anyone who does experience menstruation to complete. The first 100,000 respondents will have a period product donated to Share the Dignity by a partnering brand, so there is plenty of reason to take 5 minutes to share your period experiences.
Whether you can help by completing the survey and learning more about how to spread the word, or if you have the capacity to help with donations – any contribution helps assist women doing it tough experience their period with deserved dignity.
Find out how to help Share the Dignity
Complete the 5 minute Bloody Big Survey throughout March 2024
