A survey conducted by Procter & Gamble showed that one in eight girls or her friend in Lithuania may have missed school because she couldn’t afford period protection. The study was carried out in other Baltic countries and revealed the painful reality faced by teenagers. In Latvia, 1 in 6 girls or her friends has missed various activities, meeting or lessons because they did not have hygiene measures during menstruation. In Estonia, every tenth girl experiences this situation.
In order to minimize the period poverty problem faced by young girls in Lithuania, the global brand "Always" has launched a social campaign #EndOfPeriodPoverty, the aim of which is to provide girls in need in our country with feminine hygiene products. The partners who will implement the campaign and donation in Lithuania - the LIONS Clubs Association - are already communicating with more than 2,500 Lithuanian girls who need help organized by the campaign.
Human nature is social
Situations when a girl has to miss classes, activities with friends or other things due to lack of hygiene products during menstruation, hurt her self-esteem and self-confidence, encourage avoidance of communication and increase the feeling of exclusion.
"Human nature is social, so communication for us is necessary," says psychologist psychotherapist Irena Pėstininkienė.
According to her, in childhood and adolescence, being among peers, knowing that I am accepted and important, the ability to unfold and be myself have a huge impact on personality formation and overall psychological health.
#EndOfPeriodPoverty campaign ambassador Dovilė Filmanavičiūtė interacted a lot on social networks with her followers about women's youth experiences during menstruation. D. Filmanavičiūtė was surprised that all women, although already adults, having started their own families, still carry painful memories of during the menstrual period they had to experience unpleasant situations: to miss lessons, not meeting friends or withdrawing totally from social life due to a lack of period protection products. But now they are determined to make every effort to ensure that today’s girls no longer have to experience it.
Experiences experienced in youth are the most painful
“Painful experiences in childhood or adolescence, such as fear of shame, and feelings of exclusion, can become a lifelong memory. A girl’s the onset of menstruation, and a lack of hygiene should not be the cause of these experiences. Unfortunately, surveys and experience show that despite the modernizing open society, proper care for maturing girls, creating a safe social environment and providing the necessary help is still a problem, ”says the psychotherapist.
According to the psychologist, the constant recurrence of traumatic situations has a negative impact on the personal achievements of young girls, a teenager may have communication difficulties, and they might constantly feel frustrated. „Period poverty and fear of shame can lead to skipping lessons, unwillingness to engage in normal daily activities, distancing oneself from peers. During this period, the adolescent needs not only hygiene products but also appropriate help and support“, – specialist claim.
About the campaign #EndOfPeriodPoverty:
#EndOfPeriodPoverty – national campaign taking place in all Lithuanian stores. For each pack of Always pads purchased between September 15th and November 8th, Always will donate a pad to girls in need in collaboration with LIONS Clubs Lithuania.
The online survey was conducted by order of P&G in 2019. There were interviews 307 girls between the ages of 18 and 24 in Lithuania.
