Surrey County Council has launched a groundbreaking initiative to provide free period products across the county and be the first to eradicate period stigma. Partnering with award-winning period charity, Binti International, the initiative is the first of its kind and sets a precedent for future counties in England to follow suit. The access to the free products is only half the story. Binti's Dignity At Work campaign is impactful because it ensures access to products to those that need them and works towards removing the stigma attached to periods. Surrey County Council is tackling the issue head-on by ensuring that there is support for girls and women across the county, to ease the challenges and ensure that everyone can menstruate with dignity.
Surrey County Council will be launching Binti’s Period Dignity campaign which will see;
Free period pads available across the county for anyone who needs them
A marketing campaign designed specifically to eradicate period stigma and normalise the menstrual conversation
Donation points where residents can donate pads to the scheme.
Binti International believes that creating safe spaces to challenge the stigma and taboos will help in improving women's health long term. In order to tackle this, Binti has designed a marketing campaign with stickers that will show which organisation, office and/or public building, openly support those who are menstruating. They will be used akin to the ‘credit cards accepted here’ stickers placed on doors and windows of businesses that show free period products are available. The key to the campaign is to be a proud supporter of letting people menstruate with dignity. This means that anyone can walk into one of the locations across Surrey and have access to pads.
Binti International founder, Manjit K Gill MBE said, "The provision of free period products satisfies the immediacy of the need, this isn't a catalyst for change if it's not partnered with normalising the period discussion. We have to be brave enough to challenge the reason behind the shame that leads to so many women and girls suffering in silence - not talking about it. Our Dignity At Work campaign is groundbreaking because, on the one hand, we normalise the provision of period products in all public spaces and secondly, we encourage conversation about the big elephant in the room. Let's end period stigma and expect period products everywhere".
