We are super excited to be championing all things womankind this year by joining the #BreakTheBias campaign for International Women’s Day 2022 (IWD22).
#BreakingTheBias can mean…
- Stomping out the myths and taboos surrounding periods
- Raising awareness of period education
- Campaigning for period equality
- Committing to eradicating period poverty by providing access to free quality period products for all
#BreakingTheBias can also signify so much more. This year’s theme is all about a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
We’ve been up to all sorts in the lead up to IWD22 to help promote equal periods for all.
Check out 9 Hey Girls’ projects aiming to #BreakTheBias of period inequality for International Women’s Day 2022 below:
1. Heathrow Airport now offering Hey Girls period goodies to staff
We’ve been working in partnership with Heathrow Airport’s internal women’s network Altitude and Mitie to launch a period dignity scheme for colleagues at all five terminals. We’re partnering to offer an initial trial of 24 Heathrow Airport-branded dispensers filled with Hey Girls goodies for IWD22. These include sustainable cardboard applicator tampons and day pads, before rolling out to all female and accessible washrooms in July for over 2,000 colleagues. Through the Hey Girls buy one, donate one scheme, Heathrow will be also helping people in their local communities facing period poverty.
2. Queen Margaret University (QMU) in Edinburgh launches free Hey Girls period products to students on IWD22
Students at QMU are now able to access a new range of free sustainable period products.
The collection, which includes reusable day and night pads, non-applicator tampons and applicator tampons, has been launched on International Women’s Day in conjunction with the Student’s Union. Students will be able to learn about the products and pick up a supply via a ‘period pop-up stand’ at the Musselburgh campus.
3. Hey Girls launching disposable and reusable products to the NHS
A movement to get free period products stocked for all NHS staff in hospitals up and down the land is growing and Hey Girls has been helping lead the conversation. On Friday as part of IWD22, we’re giving a presentation on the importance of period dignity in the workplace at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. We have officially launched new projects with NHS Lothian and NHS GGC (Greater Glasgow and Clyde) and we are also working with numerous other NHS boards across the UK to help them facilitate free period products for staff and guests.
4. Free period products and education for the new Big Sister Project
We’ve been selected to deliver period health education and period products to young people across the UK in a new £1m ‘Big Sister’ project, which aims helps to improve confidence, wellbeing and activity levels amongst teenage girls. The joint project will be delivered by us, Places Leisure, Places Foundation and Women in Sport. The consortium of organisations was awarded £1m from the final Tampon Tax Fund for the project which aims to break down the deep-seated barriers that teenage girls face to leading healthy, happy and active lives by creating a supportive network of ‘Big Sisters’.
5. The Body Shop stocks Hey Girls for its staff members
We’re celebrating as our sustainable and award-winning period products are now being stocked in the staff washrooms of over 200 stores for The Body Shop! We love this so much, due to our shared values of sustainability, social good and care for the environment.
6. Hey Girls team represent social enterprise at the Scottish Women’s Convention
Georgie and Daisy from our partnerships team attended the Scottish Women’s Convention at the Scottish Parliament at the weekend, part of IWD22! The Scottish Women’s Convention works closely with women in Scotland to ensure that their voices are heard as part of decision-making processes. It was fantastic to be in Parliament! We also gave out Hey Girls sample products in all delegate goody bags.
7. We also repped female social enterprise leaders at the Go Scottish Conference
Georgie from the partnerships team and Co-founder Kate were repping female leaders at the recent GO Scottish Public Procurement Conference where they told the story of our female-led and founded social enterprise. You can watch the full recording of their talk here.
8. Bleedin’ Soar documentary is live!
Introducing another fab female-led collaboration…this time with students from Edinburgh Napier University. Created in 2018, the Bleedin’ Saor collective aims to raise awareness about period poverty and end the stigma surrounding ‘that time of the month’. The group recently premiered a documentary about the importance of period dignity and equality in education. Grab a cuppa and check it out here.
9. Period products for people fleeing Ukraine
We are suppling some of our community partners (the groups that do the ‘donate’ part of our buy-one, donate-one service) with Hey Girls period products who are working on Ukrainian border relief. With the onset of Putin’s attack on the people of Ukraine, we want to ensure people that need access to period products get it. To make a financial contribution to the cause and help us stand by Ukraine, visit our campaign page.
A final note
Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can break the bias in our communities. We can break the bias in our workplaces. We can break the bias in our schools, colleges and universities.
Together, we can all break the bias – on International Women’s Day (IWD) and beyond.
From all of us at Hey Girls! x
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