Period poverty is a nationwide crisis. No one should have to choose between food and pads
18 March 2025, 09:31 | Updated: 18 March 2025, 09:37
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Through rising levels of poverty in the UK, a pandemic, a cost of living crisis and now looming welfare cuts, period poverty has grown into a significant and pressing crisis.
Our members really appreciate these free pads, without these they would choose food and not period products.
This is the reality of period poverty today. Levels of need have risen hugely: we’ve seen this first hand in our work at Bloody Good Period, a small charity, over the last eight years of our work.
And it’s now shown in new data commissioned by Aldi: 41% of women and people who menstruate - or 2 in 5 - are struggling to afford period products. 15% say that this is ‘very often’ or ‘always’ the case. 30% are having to choose between buying period products and other everyday essentials, such as food and clothing, or paying household bills (26%). And it’s unacceptable.
Through rising levels of poverty in the UK, a pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis and now looming welfare cuts, period poverty has grown into a significant and pressing crisis. For anyone who menstruates, period products are essential; not optional, not a luxury, but absolutely essential - and required every single month.
Not having reliable access to period products has huge consequences - for physical health (overusing products, or using ‘alternatives’ like toilet roll or rags, can cause infections and pain), for mental health (causing significant stress and anxiety), and for how women and people who menstruate can participate in school, work, society and life.
That’s why Bloody Good Period is thrilled to partner with Aldi in their new initiative which sees the supermarket making period products freely available in their store toilets. There’s no code word or loyalty card needed: just access for everyone, which is how it should be. We all rightly expect toilet paper and soap to be available in all public toilets - pads and tampons should be too. This is a significant step in the fight against period poverty.
As well as making these products accessible, Aldi’s move sends a powerful signal that periods are absolutely normal, and meeting the needs of everyone who has them should be a given.
This is so important in challenging the shame and stigma around periods - which persists despite menstruation being a normal, and essential, part of the human experience. It’s great to see Aldi being the first major supermarket to take action on this issue - and we really hope they’re not the last.
Aldi is also donating an amazing one million period products to Bloody Good Period. This donation will directly benefit communities across the country, ensuring that more women and people who menstruate can have the bloody good period they deserve.
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Find more information and support Bloody Good Period’s work here.
Rachel Grocott is CEO of Bloody Good Period, a small but mighty charity fighting for menstrual equity, so that no person is disadvantaged by their period.
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