How TOP the Organic Project Is Helping to End Period Poverty
All over the world, cities, states, and countries are dealing with period poverty. Millions of women and girls around the world are forced to stay home from work and school because they do not have access to the proper supplies during menstruation. Nearly 14 percent of girls and women in the United States live below the poverty line and do not have consistent access to feminine care products. Currently, there are 38 states in the U.S. that still tax tampons and other menstrual products as non-essential.
A recent bill passed in New York City has made it mandatory for schools, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters to provide feminine hygiene products. While the decision to pass the bill felt like a step forward, the mandate currently remains unfunded, meaning it's up to the schools and facilities to cover the full cost of services and products. Most institutions already lack funding, so feminine care isn’t necessarily the first priority.
This month, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee reportedly pushed back on a proposal to add feminine hygiene products to a list of goods that can be purchased tax-free during the state's annual “sales tax holiday.” Their argument for pushing back on the bill was simple, people who use the products could purchase too many at a time if not given a limit.
Poverty and lack of access are two primary ways to define what it’s like for women and girls to navigate period poverty. Three hundred million girls and women worldwide use non-organic sanitary products, rags, plastics, sand, and ash to manage their menstrual cycles. Their lack of resources heightens their risk of being exposed to dangerous infections and even cervical cancer.
Having access to organic, naturally made products is another noticeable struggle. After many years, the discussion on whether or not traditional feminine care products are safe for our bodies is starting to become a larger concern for women all over the world. The average American woman uses 16,800 tampons in her lifetime – that number gradually increases to roughly 24,360 if she's going through estrogen replacement therapy.
I think a lot of women are still surprised to learn that traditional feminine products contain harmful chemicals. These chemicals include but aren’t limited to carcinogens, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, and allergens. The use of feminine care products that contain these chemicals can potentially result in serious health problems, like increased risk of breast cancer, reproductive problems, asthma, and allergic reactions. Just as these products are harmful, they aren’t environmentally safe.
Brands like TOP (The Organic Project) were founded to bring awareness to the overwhelming benefits of organic feminine care products and how a small change can be impactful worldwide. TOP’s products are crafted with 100% organic cotton and are 100% biodegradable. Manufactured in Europe at a factory powered by local running water, sustainability is the core focus when creating TOP products. All ingredients are ethically sourced, 100% hypoallergenic, free of chlorine bleach, and made with USDA-certified organic cotton. TOP also partners with local communities to donate tampons, pads, and liners to women in need. Your purchase of TOP products has a direct impact on the community as well.
For every purchase made, TOP donates products to schools, shelters, non-profits, and organizations dedicated to helping women in need. You can help join the fight against period poverty by supporting and purchasing TOP products; you’re helping to make a communal impact. Your purchases pour back into communities with little to no access to basic feminine care products. Also, your commitment to being educated and raising awareness of the struggles women and girls face helps to end stigmas across the globe. Empowerment, safety, and proper care are human rights and should never be considered a luxury.
How You Can Help
We believe that tampons and pads are not luxury items; they are a necessity. That is why we have partnered with Period.Org and Dignity Matters. All women should have access to period products to manage what their bodies do naturally. We have joined the Menstrual Movement Coalition with Period.Org to work together to end Period Poverty and Period Stigma through service, education, and advocacy. We will rally with them and thousands of others nationwide on National Period Day on October 19th. There will be rallies in all 50 states, so please get out and use your voice to stand in solidarity for menstrual equity.
There will be many more opportunities to get involved throughout the coming year. We have also partnered with Dignity Matters to support their incredible work so all women and girls have the right to live with basic dignity. To maintain dignity, women and girls need access to tampons and pads. Period. Did you know that products like Doritos, doughnuts, men’s razors, and cowboy boots are tax-free in some states? However, in 35 states across the United States, tampons and pads are not. They are taxed as non-essentials (wait, what?!?). Join our mission to abolish the tampon tax in all 50 states. This tax is an unfair economic burden. States should not profit from the products we must purchase to manage what our bodies do naturally. Use your voice and your power to sign our petition.