Poverty makes the front pages of the Oxford Eagle every now and then as community leaders ponder social policy as it relates to poverty and homelessness.

This is good news.

Being open about this serious problem is a first step in being able to address the intricate challenges poverty poses for the nearly one out of every four families in the county who live in poverty.

The bad news is that many of the consequences of poverty remain off the front page, leaving these issues unaddressed for generations.

Let’s talk about one of these hidden issues: dignity for women as it relates to access to feminine hygiene products.

Food stamps, a great help to those in need, cannot be used to purchase feminine hygiene products (average cost about $10 per month). For a woman living in poverty, this cost may be prohibitive.

Teens may skip school several days a month while they have their period and no pads or tampons available. Women may stay home from work if they don’t have these products. Such absenteeism has a negative impact on their futures – another consequence of poverty.

And, without these products, women seclude themselves out of shame. A group of women in Oxford has decided to do something about this and formed Dignity Period Oxford.

Its mission is to provide feminine hygiene products to all women in need in our community. Why? Because all women deserve dignity. PERIOD.

We invite organizations and individuals to join us in this mission. They can contact us at dignity.period@gmail.com.

Kate Roos

Dignity Period Oxford

founding member