VisitScotland has joined forces with women’s health crusaders to provide free period products for its employees.
The national tourism organisation is fighting period poverty alongside social enterprise, Hey Girls by making sure staff – across 37 sites – have access to plastic-free tampons and sanitary pads.
To celebrate the partnership, Hey Girls also announced its new Period Dignity campaign at VisitScotland’s Edinburgh headquarters today.
At a launch event key donation partners, as well as all staff, were able to hear from the Hey Girls team, learn more about the products on offer and the Period Dignity cause.
Hey Girls Period Dignity campaign aim is to make free sanitary products in the work place the norm. This is part of a wider campaign to assist employers, leisure and facility providers to make conditions more equal for women at work and play.
A key driver of the Hey Girls mission is their Buy One Give One strategy – for every product bought, one is donated to help women and girls in need.
The social enterprise has collected over 200 donation partners, including community organisations, home shelters, food banks, and charities. Since launching in January 2018, Hey Girls have managed to donate over 5.2 million plastic free period products to women in the UK.
Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive said: “VisitScotland is very proud to partner with Hey Girls to promote period dignity and address period poverty.
“At VisitScotland, we are committed to both social and environmental sustainability. All Hey Girl products are made from sustainable material, and their ‘Buy One Give One’ agenda is a fantastic way to help those girls and women that need a helping hand.
“Hey Girls vision is in line with VisitScotland’s wellbeing ethos and we thoroughly enjoyed the launch day – where partners and colleagues came along and learned more about our collaboration and the new campaign.”
Celia Hodson, Founder & CEO of Hey Girls said: “Solving issues around period poverty start here. We need to shift taboos and alter negative mindsets to realise period dignity at work is as much of a necessity as loo roll or soap. We are so thrilled to be working with a community of likeminded companies who generally just want to make the place they work as fair as possible to every member of staff.”
