Feminists and Christians donate tampons to local food banks

Feminist students are donating tampons in Durham because of “massive social inequality”

Feminists and a Christian group have come together to donate unopened boxes of tampons and other sanitary products to food banks in the city.

They have a logo and everything

The group calling themselves “Giving: Strings Attached” (pun intended) have garnered support from both sexes across campus, in an attempt to help those in poverty.

Lettie Broom, from Mary’s FemSoc, said: “One in three women are on their period at any one time and this doesn’t stop if you’re homeless.

“Many families use food banks, and women in these families are likely to also be unable to afford sanitary products. There are bigger structural issues at play here, like the taxation on sanitary items by the government.

“We hear of women in other countries not being able to go to school because of their period. But these issues are far closer to home.”

If you have access to this, count yourself lucky!

The Christian group Just Love is running the campaign, many of whose members are also in the Christian Union, which has come under criticism for perceived sexism.

Josh Smedley is a spokesperson for the campaign and is angered by the shocking poverty in Durham, where almost 7000 people were forced to use Durham Foodbanks.

He said: “One in four children in County Durham are growing up below the poverty line, and in most of these families both parents are working. The idea of hardworking families not being in poverty is simply not true.

“If this many families can’t afford to feed themselves, then sanitary products that are taxed as if they’re luxury items are hardly going to be high on the priority list.”

Good luck buying Boots tampons after this donation last week

The group may comprise of non-local and self-confessed affluent students, but they see themselves as part of a wider community.

Alice Nichols is from Cuths FemSoc and said: “As Durham students, it’s very easy to lose sight of our privilege, especially when those around you might have better Ball-Gowns or more Tesco Finest shopping – the truth is we’re not the most hard done by.”

The group have begun collecting in all the colleges across Durham, asking for unopened boxes of sanitary items and will be donating to Foodbank, Oasis Aquila and A Way Out at the end of the term.

The group are attempting to reach both genders in their bid to collect sanitary towels.

Nell Goddard, of Just Love, told The Tab: “If you find just the idea of periods icky, think how much ickier they are in reality if you don’t have any sanitary products. So both guys and girls should think of that when donating!”

This is what they want from you

Josh was eager to add: “To be apathetic is to take the side of the oppressor – to agree with the dominant culture. And for that reason I think that issues of injustice like this one are for everyone – female and male, student and local, wealthy and impoverished.”

The campaign, although hoping to run permanently, ends at the Easter Vac.