In a powerful collaboration to address period poverty we've partnered with Woolworths New Zealand for a month-long appeal that will see Woolworths' supply partners donate a period product for every sale of participating brands.

U By Kotex, Libra, Carefree, Stayfree, Tampax, Organic Initiative, Tom Organic, Bonds, Vagisil, Femfresh, Evamay, and Essentials are all part of the initiative, donating tampons, pads, or liners directly to The Period Place. Woolworths will also be contributing a generous $20,000 cash donation to support the cause.

This appeal aims to help provide critical period products to some of the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who struggle to afford them.

"Too many people can’t afford basic period products, and it’s a bloody disgrace,” says The Period Place CEO, Danika Revell.

The urgency of this initiative is underscored by the findings of a recent survey of over 1000 New Zealanders, aged 16 to 54, which revealed that 36% had experienced a period where they couldn't afford the necessary products. Of these respondents, 28% said they sometimes couldn't afford them, 5% often couldn’t, and 2% always struggled to meet their needs.

The survey also found that periods cause financial stress or anxiety for nearly half of respondents (48%), further highlighting the emotional and financial burden placed on menstruators in Aotearoa. Beyond financial stress, access to products is a significant concern for many. A striking 66% of participants reported that they at least sometimes worried about how they would get period products if they ran out or were caught by surprise.

Danika Revell points out that the survey highlights not only the financial challenges but also the critical need for access to period products in all public spaces. “We aren’t expected to bring our own toilet paper to work, restaurants, or other public spaces, and period products should be the same. We want to see every bathroom – in and out of the home – stocked with period products so they’re readily available for people who need them.”

This marks the second year that Woolworths has partnered with The Period Place on this appeal, and their commitment to breaking period stigma is clear.

“We’re stoked to have a partner in Woolies. Going to the supermarket is as everyday and normal as we want talk about periods to be. Woolies was the first supermarket in the world to call a ‘period’ a ‘period’ when they changed their signage to ‘period care’ from ‘feminine hygiene’ in 2020. I’m hoping that through this appeal more people get the message that periods are normal, but period poverty is not,” adds Danika.

Period products are an essential but significant expense, with the average menstruator using around 900 packs of products in their lifetime. This appeal is a critical step toward making sure that no one in Aotearoa is held back by their period.