I did not think that I would be blogging about tampons, but once you read the below, I think you’ll understand why I was inspired to write this post.

This post is a #TBT (Throw Back Thursday) to the Chelsea episode titled, “Singing, Storms and Stoned Spelling” (Season 2, Netflix), in which Chelsea Handler interviewed  Molly Hayward of Cora (www.cora.life). Cora is a Certified B Corporation that not only sells organic tampons (within the USA from their website, and in Target locations), but also donates their product to women in need.

How many women are in need of feminine hygiene products?

Before watching this episode, I had no idea that 300,000,000 women do not have access to feminine hygiene products around the world, and that 1 in 4 girls in India drop out of school when they start their period. (Thus, the title of this blog post and the late Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin’s quote above.)

When you buy Cora-brand tampons, the company donates tampons to women in need in Kenya and India. (Specifically, they work with two organizations that employ women, and manufacture tampons. Cora purchases feminine hygiene products from these organizations, and donates them to adolescent girls and women in need.) How incredible is that?!

I knew that I had to purchase this product as soon as possible… but Cora does not ship to Canada. (According to their website, they plan to offer their product beyond the borders of the USA in the future.)

Tampons and taxes

As of the release date of this Chelsea episode, the ‘Tampon Tax’ still exists in multiple states within the USA.

Chelsea reported that a variety of goods deemed “essential” are not taxed, including: Viagra (Ha!), sunscreen and dandruff shampoo. So, it’s more important for men to be able to perform sexually, with a flake-free scalp than it is for women of every walk of life to have easier access to feminine hygiene products? I presume that the vast majority of us agree that feminine hygiene products are far more essential than Viagra and dandruff shampoo, yet they remain taxed in many states, adding to the expense that must be considered by low-income American women. This is unacceptable, and must be changed state by state. (According to journalistsresource.org, “legislators in multiple states filed bills to eliminate taxes on feminine hygiene products.”)

In Canada, we haven’t paid tax on feminine hygiene products since the end of June, 2015 (I’m thankful, but I am surprised that it has only been since 2015).

I knew a few of the facts shared on Cora.life, but I did not know that tampons do not go through any regulatory testing to ensure safety, or that “conventional cotton is the dirtiest crop in the world.”

According to their website, Cora brand tampons are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified, which ensures that “cotton is pure and ethically sourced and is made without chemical pesticides, forced labor, child labor, or unfair wages.”

Have you tried Cora brand tampons? (I look forward to supporting Cora when they begin shipping to Canada.)

Is it important that the companies you support use their platform to positively impact society?

The Period Purse

Cora seeks to help the adolescent girls and women in developing nations who do not have access to feminine hygiene products, but the problem of affording feminine hygiene products is a very real concern for any homeless woman. I had not considered how terrible it would be to be a homeless woman without access to such essential items; fortunately, Jana Girdauskas did.

Jana Girdauskas founded Period Purses (a grassroots organization that collects donated goods, including feminine hygiene products, chocolate, makeup, and socks & underwear. These items are packed into fashionable purses that are handed out to Toronto’s homeless women. Check them out on social media: #TheHomelessPeriod, @ThePeriodPurse). This initiative sparked a movement that carried Period Purses far beyond Toronto’s borders. According to the CBC, Period Purses spread to seven different cities by May 2017.

I didn’t think that I would blog about tampons, but access to feminine hygiene products creates the opportunity for adolescent girls to stay in school, and provides dignity to homeless women. If that’s not a blog-worthy topic, I don’t know what is.

Thanks for reading!

Amber Green