Halifax, ON, Sept. 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Friendly Divas and Dignity. Period. have announced that they will host the East Coast’s first-ever Period Poverty Summit, a one-day event for people, businesses, and organizations working to end period poverty in Nova Scotia. The event will take place on Tuesday, October 29 at NSGEU in Burnside, Dartmouth. Period poverty is the struggle to afford menstrual supplies such as tampons and pads, affecting thousands of people with periods in Nova Scotia. A recent study by Plan International Canada found that one-third of Canadian women under 25 have struggled to afford menstrual products.
“Half the population menstruates for 40 years of their lives,” says Friendly Divas founder Suzanne Lively. “It’s time to talk openly about periods and how we can manage them sustainably and with dignity.”
“Imagine missing work or school because you don’t have pads or tampons, or worrying all day because you’re using a sock or toilet paper,” adds Dignity. Period. founder Erin Casey. “This is a great time to get together and end the stigma!”
Diva International Inc. (Diva), maker of the DivaCup, is the summit’s Title Sponsor and all participants will receive a free DivaCup to keep for themselves or give to a friend. The DivaCup is a reusable silicone menstrual cup that can be reused month after month, offering users an eco-friendly, cost-effective alternative to disposable tampons and pads. Representatives from DivaCares, Diva’s corporate social responsibility program, will facilitate a menstrual equity workshop during the summit. Other sponsors include the NSGEU Women’s Issues Committee, which will support all aspects of the event as the Venue Sponsor.
“Events like the Period Poverty Summit are crucial for raising awareness about the widespread nature of period poverty, as well as for finding ways to combat the problem,” says Alexis Biermann, DivaCares Manager and Positivity Officer. “We often think of period poverty as a problem that happens ‘somewhere else’ or ‘to someone else,’ but the data from Plan Canada shows that period poverty is right here in our own backyard. At Diva much of our programming is focused right here in Canada.”
The event will include speakers, panels and workshops to help educate attendees about how they can fight for menstrual equity in their own communities. As the event is the first of its kind in Canada and will lay a foundation for period poverty advocacy both regionally and nationally, anyone is welcome to come and share information and create partnerships to help build a more equitable Nova Scotia. For ticket information and info on the event’s Generosity Policy for those who cannot afford a ticket, please visit Event Brite, periodpovertysummit.com or @PeriodPovertySummit on Facebook.
About Friendly Divas
Friendly Divas is a non-profit organization working towards sustainably ending period poverty by distributing menstrual cups to those in need.
About Digity. Period.
Dignity. Period. is a campaign to help people with periods across Nova Scotia access menstrual hygiene supplies.
About Diva International Inc.
Established in 2003, Diva’s founders, Francine Chambers and her daughter, Carinne Chambers-Saini, have become disruptors in the menstrual care industry, passionately following their dream to create a menstrual cup, a healthy and effective alternative to disposables. Their product, the DivaCup, is an easy-to-use, cost-effective and eco-friendly approach to menstrual care. Through their corporate social responsibility program, DivaCares, Diva invests its expertise and resources in education, advocacy and access, working to create a world where menstruation is a fact of life, not life-limiting. For more information, please visit divacup.com.