On the 28th of May, the world will celebrate Menstrual Hygiene Day. This global event aims to raise awareness of the importance for women and girls to have a safe and healthy period. From accessing clean water supplies, to the cost and availability of products, there are various challenges that women around the world face when dealing with their monthly menstruation cycle. Ultimately, we aim to reduce these practical and financial constraints to promote gender inequality.
In honour of World Menstrual Hygiene Day – May 28th 2019 – Hey Girls are donating 1,000 menstrual cups to women across the UK. These donations are made possible by Hey Girls’ Buy One Give One model, which means that for every product sold, one is donated to someone in need. The #GiveaCupaGo campaign aims to tackle period poverty as well as environmental sustainability. Thanks to the amazing generosity of Hey Girls customers, who choose to support #BuyOneGiveOne, enough cups have now been purchased to donate 10 years of period protection to 1,000 people who need access to safe period products.
World Menstrual Hygiene Day is about breaking down the stigma of menstruation, and yet there is still very little education or awareness about menstrual cups – a product that was invented in 1937 but remains obscure. Menstrual cups are small bell-shaped devices used during a period. They can make a huge impact on individual lives as well as the environment . Women who use menstrual cups often find them more comfortable and more convenient to use than their disposable equivalent – tampons. If properly cared for, one cup can last up to 10 years, presenting huge environmental benefits. Hey Girls cups are medical grade silicone, Hypoallergenic, as well as Latex, Phthalate, BPA and Dioxin free. They retail for £8.95, making them one of the most affordable products on the market.
The founder and CEO of Hey Girls, Celia Hodson, said:
“We’re really proud that all our products are high quality and environmentally friendly. We don’t believe that girls or young women should have to compromise on the quality of sanitary products just because they’re being provided free of charge – we believe in quality, and period equality, for all”.
Hey Girls have teamed up with Project Give, Girl Guiding Ulster, Women’s Environmental Network,Together Engage Encourage Support, and The Glendale Women’s Café for the nation-wide event. Along with the donated menstrual cups, Hey Girls have provided lesson plans so each location can host their very own #GiveACupAGo workshop to their local community.
The Hey Girls team have also collaborated with City of Glasgow College to host a give-away pop up stall at the Cathedral Street campus on the 28th of May. City of Glasgow College is on a mission to offer each and every student free access to sanitary products. Their students have asked for a focus on eco-friendly products that are sustainable and reusable. Hey Girls provide products for a number of Local Authorities, schools and universities across the UK, but this collaboration will see the first live #GiveACupAGo giveaway to take place on such a scale. City of Glasgow College will give away over 800 Hey Girls menstrual cups to students, with the Hey Girls team on site to offer support and answer any questions students and staff may have about how cups work.
Deborah Fagan, Lead Procurement Manager at City of Glasgow College, said:
“In response to the Scottish Government’s commitment to end period poverty, City of Glasgow College introduced free sanitary products last August. Following feedback from students requesting more ecological products, we have appointed Hey Girls as our Supplier of Sustainable Sanitary Products and we look forward to working with them.”
Hey Girls have also encouraged local businesses to also take part in this nation-wide event. Do Lil Things, a boutique eco shop in East Lothian, are hosting their own ‘Lil Ladies Night’ to support the Hey Girls initiative whilst welcoming women in the local community to join in an evening of #GiveACupAGo. The event will focus on the important of Menstrual Hygiene, whilst also raising awareness and funds for the East Lothian Foodbank.
For more information on #GiveACupAGo, please go to www.heygirls.co.uk/give-a-cup-a-go/.
