Woolworths and Share the Dignity are partnering in a Dignity Drive this August.
According to Woolworths, this will provide essential support to the growing number of Australian women experiencing period poverty as a result of COVID-19.
The impact of the pandemic, says the retailer, has meant that even more women are having to make the choice between buying food or sanitary items.
The August Dignity Drive will run across all Woolworths Supermarkets and Metro stores nationally, giving customers the opportunity to donate sanitary items via collection boxes. These will then be distributed to girls and women who can’t afford to buy sanitary items.
In addition, Woolworths will donate five cents from the sale of pads, tampons and liners in August to Share the Dignity, to help the charity fund more dignity vending machines that dispense free sanitary items to women experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence, or are facing difficult circumstances.
An ongoing partnership
Woolworths has partnered with Share the Dignity since early 2019 and has so far raised in partnership with customers more than $1.3 million for the charity. Funds raised are being used for the installation of 80 dignity vending machines across Australia.
The upcoming Dignity Drive will be the retailer’s third time supporting the initiative. The last one in March is said to have collected over 43,000 sanitary items for women in need.
Woolworths Supermarkets Managing Director Claire Peters says the company are incredibly proud to be partnering with Share the Dignity for its third Dignity Drive.
“Now more than ever the charity needs our support to meet the needs of the growing number of Australian women experiencing period poverty,” she says.
“We will be donating five cents from the sale of every sanitary item to Share the Dignity and for those customers in a position to help, we’re encouraging them to donate sanitary items at the collection box in their local Woolworths store. This small act of kindness will go a long way to helping thousands of women in need.”