Ontex, an international provider of personal hygiene solutions, is donating 6000 sanitary napkins to 29 schools and boarding schools of the non-profit association SKOG in Ghent, Belgium to combat rising menstrual poverty.

Menstrual and incontinence products should be part of the normal standard of living. Yet for many people, this is not the case today. In Belgium, there are also many families who cannot afford personal hygiene products. This is not only demonstrated by statistics from various public bodies and study services of poverty associations. Ontex, a producer of personal hygiene products, has noticed that the number of requests for donations of menstrual and incontinence products continues to rise. Partly due to the current inflation rate, more and more families end up in hygiene poverty. Similarly, several schools and poverty organizations are noticing that more and more school-aged girls are staying home because of this issue.

“For the growing group of girls who do not have the opportunity to buy menstrual products at home, we find it important to provide a discreet supply from our schools and boarding schools. In this way, we want to ensure that all our students can learn in optimal conditions and remove any barriers”, says general director Wouter Boute of the Ghent school group SKOG.
The organizations Fourth World Group People for People Aalst and Center for General Welfarework (CAW) East Flanders also see a growing problem. “More and more profiles, also from the lower middle class have to make a lot of effort to make ends meet,” said Noël Callebaut, staff member for Fundraising at CAW East Flanders.  “Since the pandemic, I see the number of requests for basic hygiene products and menstrual poverty rising sharply.”

Nele Buyl, theme worker Education of the organization Fourth World Group People for People from Aalst adds: “Young people in poverty are often ashamed that they live in poverty; you don’t walk around with that. Saying that you don’t have enough menstrual products because of financial difficulties is another taboo. We must avoid such taboos from further reinforcing the unequal educational opportunities of vulnerable students.”

As an internationally active company, Ontex had long been aware of the global problem of hygiene poverty. But until recently, the company was mainly confronted with the issue in the various emerging countries where it operates. The increase in the number of local requests from schools and organizations in the region surprised the company: “We know about menstrual poverty through our donations to vulnerable groups in emerging countries such as Mexico, but the fact that we are now also receiving requests from schools in our own region has surprised me. Several local poverty organizations we work with confirm that the problem is growing and as a locally anchored company with deep roots in the region we obviously want to help”, said Annick De Poorter, Executive Vice President for Innovation and Sustainability of Ontex.

To ensure that products donated worldwide benefit the most vulnerable groups in society, Ontex has also established a global donation policy with principles to increase transparency of donations. In this way, the company ensures that donated goods end up in the right place.  “We have already donated more than 6 million products to vulnerable groups worldwide in the past 2 years, including more than 1 million menstrual products. In addition to donations, we also make sure to bring innovations in tampons and pads to the market as soon as possible in a more affordable version. We are also adding circular products to our offering.”