Did you know that 68% of women Hey Girls chatted to who got their period at work left immediately if they didn’t have the right product to hand? This UK Social Enterprise has launched a nation-wide Period Dignity campaign to bring period equality in the UK workplace.
Period Dignity is essential to health and well-being at work.Hey Girls are aiming to make free sanitary products in the workplace the norm. The Hey Girls mission to bring #PeriodDignity to the UK is well underway, already facilitating the likes of Autotrader, BrewDog, H&M Customer Service and Aesop Skincare.
James Cooney, Design Project Manager at Aesop Skincare said:“Joining the Hey Girls Period Dignity campaign has been a welcome introduction to Aesop skincare. Our workforce are at the core of what we do, and this feels like a natural progression towards ensuring each member of the team is looked after. Providing Hey Girls period products in our washrooms is such a simple step in allowing our workforce to perform to the best of their ability. We are really proud to join Hey Girls on this venture, it’s safe to say they have now become a core part of our business.”
One of Hey Girls most recent partners include VisitScotland. The national tourism agency has joined the Period Dignity campaign and will now offer free period products to over 400members of staff in Scotland.
Chris McCoy, VisitScotland Equality and Diversity Manger said,“At VisitScotland, we are committed to both social and environmental sustainability. All Hey Girl products are made from sustainable material, and their Buy One Give One agenda is a fantastic way to help those girls and women that need a helping hand.”
On the 23rd September, Hey Girls officially launched its Period Dignity campaign with the reveal of a new quote generator that allows businesses to make the first step in introducing Period Dignity to their office. The Private Sector webpage of the Hey Girls website gives businesses a step-by-step guide on ordering plastic free period products for their washrooms, whilst educating the masses on the importance of Period Dignity at work.
The Hey Girls Buy One Give One pledge means that every product purchased by an employer will be matched by Hey Girls and donated to a local charity.
Celia Hodson, Founder & CEO of Hey Girls said:“Solving issues around Period Poverty start here. We need to shift taboos and alter negative mindsets to realise Period Dignity at work is as much of a necessity as loo roll or soap. We are so thrilled to be working with a community of likeminded companies who generally just want to make the place they work as fair as possible to every member of staff.”
Periods are private – but they shouldn’t be secret. Acknowledging that a large portion of the UK workforce is affected by a natural biological process is a good start to ensuring gender equality. The Hey Girls Period Dignity Movement is about offering a subtle nod of encouragement to staff, letting them know that support is there when it’s needed most.
What Hey Girls are discovering with this campaign is that often all it takes is the courage and passion of one individual to make a change. Speak to your colleagues and managers, and bring Period Dignity to your office.
We want equality. So, let’s start with dignity.
