Advocacy

Help us advocate for real change for menstruators in our communities by joining our letter-writing campaign!

Here are some advocacy letters we’ve put together as well as links where you can find the city councillor, MLA, and MP that represents your region. Let’s join together to reduce the stigma around menstruation by making Period Poverty awkward for our elected officials. 

We are asking all menstruators to write their elected officials to let them know every time they get their period. These letters lead off with that message, but if you like feel free to personalize them and share any details you like such as how much your period cost you this month and why Period Poverty is such an important issue to you.

Don’t menstruate? No problem! Every time you hear about a friend or family member who is on their period write a letter on their behalf. Let them know this is an everyone issue and that all of us want to see an end to Period Poverty in our communities. 

Our contact info is included in these letters and we will continue to advocate at all levels of government until there is No Period Without. 

Sample Federal Letter Text

To whom it may concern, I am on my period. Yup I said it out loud. Why? Because it is natural and there shouldn’t be any shame about it. There also shouldn’t be any period poverty. We believe being able to access sanitary products is fundamental to equality, dignity and rights for all people who menstruate. In a society as wealthy as Canada, no-one should have to suffer the indignity of not having the means to meet their basic needs. Period poverty is real, and it is a Canadian problem. One-third of Canadians under the age of 25 who menstruate struggle to buy enough products every month. It is a truly invisible form of poverty. At its most basic level, period poverty is economic conditions where it is difficult or impossible for individuals to buy menstrual products. To put it more simply, it’s prioritizing food over tampons, housing over pads and the dozens of other decisions made to survive in the face of punishing deprivation. It is estimated that Canadian’s spend up to $6,000 in their lifetime on menstrual hygiene products (Craggs, 2018). Understandably, low-income women and women on social assistance find it difficult to allocate money towards this necessity. How can you help? No Period Without. wants to see government subsidies for menstrual hygiene products not just because they are expensive, but because they are essential. Let’s begin a broader discussion about women’s health and menstruation. Together, we can end period poverty. Contact Scarlet Bjornson at scarlet@noperiodwithout.com to start the conversation.

Sample Provincial / Civic Letter Text

To whom it may concern, I am on my period. Yup I said it out loud. Why? Because it is natural and there shouldn’t be any shame about it. There also shouldn’t be any period poverty. We believe being able to access sanitary products is fundamental to equality, dignity and rights for all people who menstruate. In a society as wealthy as Alberta, no-one should have to suffer the indignity of not having the means to meet their basic needs. Period poverty is real, and it is a Canadian problem. One-third of Canadians under the age of 25 who menstruate struggle to buy enough products every month. It is a truly invisible form of poverty. At its most basic level, period poverty is economic conditions where it is difficult or impossible for individuals to buy menstrual products. To put it more simply, it’s prioritizing food over tampons, housing over pads and the dozens of other decisions made to survive in the face of punishing deprivation. It is estimated that Canadian’s spend up to $6,000 in their lifetime on menstrual hygiene products (Craggs, 2018). Understandably, low-income women and women on social assistance find it difficult to allocate money towards this necessity. How can you help? When you enter a public washroom, you do not pay for toilet paper. Likewise, No Period Without. wants to see free, universal access to menstrual products in schools and public facilities. Let’s begin a broader discussion about women’s health and menstruation. Together, we can end period poverty. Contact Scarlet Bjornson at scarlet@noperiodwithout.com to start the conversation.

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