Major New Zealand supermarket chain lowers price of female sanitary products to fight 'period poverty'

July 24, 2018
There are girls here in NZ that charities say are missing school because they can’t afford products they need.

Countdown has today announced it is dropping the price of some female sanitary products to fight "period poverty" for low income and disadvantaged Kiwi women.

But they’re warning more needs to be done to fight "period poverty".

The supermarket chain is reducing the price of 15 of its Homebrand and Select range of tampon and pad products.

Countdown estimates the price drop will save New Zealand customers $750,000 a year, with some of the products dropping by almost 50 per cent in price.

Countdown's general manager of corporate affairs, Kiri Hannifin, said the decision was guided by their belief that access to sanitary products was a necessity.

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"Period poverty is a worldwide phenomenon and a reality here in New Zealand. Too many women go without sanitary products themselves so they can provide essentials like food and rent for their family, or for some families it's simply something they can't stretch their budgets to afford for their children," Ms Hannifin said.

It has previously been reported by TVNZ that some families had kept girls home from school as they couldn't afford sanitary products, while others used newspaper or cardboard instead.

More stories by TVNZ on period poverty

MyCup NZ's community partnership programme is putting an end to period poverty in Northland.

There are girls here in NZ that charities say are missing school because they can’t afford products they need.

Pharmac yesterday revealed it had kicked out an application to subsidise women's sanitary products.

Manurewa MP and Labour Youth Affairs spokesperson Louisa Wall is backing a project to help struggling Kiwi women afford sanitary items

Despite the problems being faced by some New Zealanders, lowering the price on tampons and pads isn't on the government's radar.

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