Student Tackles Period Poverty as Social Action Project in World Cultures

A major part of the Grade 12 World Cultures course is a social action project where students identify an area of equity, social justice or cultural diversity in which they are passionate. Abbey Butler ’23 chose to address the global and local issue of period poverty, and launched the Period Project at this week’s Assembly.
Throughout this week and next, she will be conducting a drive for menstrual hygiene products. She has asked her fellow students and teachers to consider donating feminine products (liners, sanitary pads, tampons and diva cups), or a cash donation to the Main Office, and thereby become part of the solution. Abbey is more than happy to make these purchases for others who may feel uncomfortable shopping for them.
 
She has already started collecting donations in a red bin located at the bottom of the Winch Family Learning Stairs and will deliver them to the Young Women's Christian Association, a shelter and safe house for women and children of abuse next Friday, May 5. Buoyed by the success of the Period Project thus far, Abbey hopes to collect even more product and cash donations over the next week.

In her speech to the Middle and Senior School, she explained “I understand this may make some of you feel uncomfortable, but just for a couple minutes I want to try and change your perspective. When you feel uncomfortable simply hearing about these products, try and imagine how uncomfortable the women feel when they need them, or especially the women who require these products but don't have access to them.”
 
Abbey went on to share how there are women in our local community, across Canada and around the world who are challenged to find the funds to allocate toward feminine products each month, when they are also trying to buy food for their family, pay rent and other household bills.
 
“For those of you who don't know, at CDS we are lucky enough to have free, clean and accessible period products in each of our female bathrooms,” Abbey said. “It is easy to lose sight of the fact that we really do have so much. Although expensive, at the end of the day we are still able to afford period products and can use them in private and sanitary spaces. The sad truth is, not all women around the world have this opportunity.”
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Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.