Feminine Hygiene Products Drive

Name of the activity: Feminine Hygiene Products Drive

Country/NMO: Canada (Quebec) (IFMSA-Quebec)

Program: Maternal Health & Access to Safe Abortion

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Third Party Activities. Supporting an individual or a group to tackle an issue, either in the form of fundraising (collecting money) or operative work (help with administrative tasks of other organizations or communities).

General description:

This activity consisted of collecting funds for buying feminine hygiene products as well as collecting direct product donations and distributing them among community organisations whose mission is to provide services to women in vulnerable financial situations. Specifically, the activity aimed to provide donations of feminine hygiene products to local organisations in the province of Quebec worth a total value of at least CAD$1500. A product drive, a.k.a. a collection campaign, was run using classroom visits at different universities in health program courses, as well as social media sharing information on the topic of women/financial vulnerability/affordability of menstrual products, and kiosks with information distribution and collection purposes during one month. This activity is in line with IFMSA’s values and vision of equity in health. Considering the gender-specific aspect of this activity, it was organized within the perspective and role of a SCORA local officer.

Focus area:

Menstrual hygiene

Problem statement:

Every months, women living in precarious situations are facing several challenges when they have their periods. Every month, they need to choose between spending money on products that protect their health and dignity and food for themselves or their family.

Target groups:

Medical students, Healthcare Students, Doctors, Other health professionals, Women, Homeless people

Beneficiaries:

Women, Migrants, Homeless people

Objectives and indicators of success:

1. After this one month long campaign, healthcare students and the community will have increased their knowledge on the menstrual hygiene issues women living in precarious situations face every month.

– Indicator 1: The number of people reached out through social media campaign

– Indicator 2: Informal discussion with donators. No formal assessment was developed yet.

2. The national campaign will raise 1500$ worth of feminine hygiene products through kiosks, donators and online campaign.

– Indicator: 1500$ will have been raised through financial and material donation

3. After the one month campaign, donations raised through the campaign will be distributed to women in vulnerable financial situation, such as shelters for women surviving domestic violence, community organizations working with sex workers or immigrant women, and shelters for homeless women.

– Indicator: We will have given donations to these different organization

4. Through this event, we aim to start building relationships with community organizations.

– Indicator: We will organize other events the following year with these organizations

Methodology:

1. Contact local organizations working with women living in precarious financial situation.

2. Evaluate the needs for feminine hygiene products with these organizations

3. Contact other committees on campus with a mission similar to IFMSA-Québec in order to join forces

4. Send out letters to potential financial donators such as drug stores.

5. Schedule the kiosks and class announcements.

6. Plan a social media campaign with information to raise awareness.

7. Contact the local media to gain more visibility.

8. Raise money through kiosks, class announcements and online donations.

9. Give back the products to the community organizations during a half day where we get to visit the organizations and learn more about their mission.

Plans for evaluation:

1. The amount of financial and material donations

2. Evaluation form from the SCORA local officer who ran the campaign

3. Evaluation form from the community organizations