At Share the Dignity, we’ve always believed that dignity should never be out of reach.
For more than eleven years, we’ve seen the reality of period inequity in Australia: girls missing school because they can’t access period products, women choosing between food and pads, people using whatever they can find just to get through the day.
What began as a grassroots response has grown into a national movement.
Since 2015, with the support of our volunteers, partners and community, Share the Dignity has delivered more than six million period products to Australians doing it tough. We’ve helped bring conversations once hidden behind shame into the public eye and shown that when people understand the issue, they want to be part of the solution.
Along the way, we’ve helped drive meaningful change, from contributing to the removal of GST on period products, to influencing access initiatives across Australia, to building the world’s largest body of research into menstruation through the Bloody Big Survey.
But despite the progress we’ve made, there is still a long way to go, but we’re ready for the challenge.
Today, our work focuses on three key areas:
- Delivering immediate support to those in need
- Influencing policy and systems
- Changing the way Australia understands menstruation
And now, we’re setting our most ambitious goal yet.
Our Goal: Menstrual Equity in Australia by 2031
By 2031, we want to achieve menstrual equity in Australia. That means creating a future where:
- Period products are available wherever they are needed, just like toilet paper
- No one misses school, work, sport or life because of their period
- Menstruation is understood, accepted and spoken about without shame
To help achieve this, we will continue pushing for policy change, using evidence from the Bloody Big Survey to guide decisions and creating innovative solutions that improve access to period products across schools, workplaces, hospitals and public spaces.
We know this work is layered and complex, and progress may not always be linear. But what remains unchanged is why we do this work.
No one should have to choose between basic essentials and managing their period. Yet for far too many people, this is still a reality.
That’s why this work is about more than period products. It’s about fairness, dignity and ensuring people can fully participate in everyday life.
Everything we’ve achieved so far has been possible because of people who chose to show up, whether through donating, volunteering, advocating or sharing our mission.
To our volunteers, partners and community: thank you. While we’re proud of how far we’ve come, we know there is still more to do, and we are committed to continuing the work to make menstrual equity a reality in Australia.
Because dignity should never be out of reach.
To learn more about our mission and read our roadmap to menstrual equity, visit our About Us page.
