Members rally behind United Way Period Promise campaign

Access to menstrual products can be a challenge for many. 

Research funded by the Provincial Government and United Way shows that at some point in their lives, half of all people in BC who menstruate struggle to buy the products they need due to poverty. This includes women, girls, non-binary, and trans folks.  

The result is too often an unfair choice between buying food or necessary menstrual products; the lack of access to products can mean missing out on work, school, or social events.

“The feeling of failure when I am unable to provide menstrual products for my teenage daughter. It’s heartbreaking,” says one of hundreds of people who provided testimonies to United Way.

The United Way Period Promise Campaign highlights the harms of “period poverty” and raises money to distribute free menstrual products to people in our community.

This year, the campaign took place from May to June, and IATSE 891 members stepped up to provide support, products, and money. The IATSE 891 Women’s Committee rallied to get donations from people in the motion picture industry, spurring a $1,500 contribution from the union, which was then matched by union ally UBCP/Actra. 

Meanwhile, the IATSE 891 Senior Stewards office distributed collection boxes at productions all over the Lower Mainland so people could donate money or products.

By the end of the campaign, $3,960 had been donated to United Way.

It’s just one example of how members are giving back to the community and support important causes that advance gender equality, equity, and dignity for all. 

United Way’s Period Promise has been able to distribute more than one million menstrual products to dozens of community organizations in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, and Sea to Sky Corridor over the past 5 years. It’s a cause IATSE 891 is proud to support.

You can find out more and donate here: https://www.periodpromise.ca/pages/about