Young women across New Zealand are turning to alternatives from traditional menstruating products due to inflation impacting the price of the essential good.
Shante Cameron, Director of Petal & Flo, stated that women use an average of 11,000 to 17,000 products over the approximate 40-year lifetime of menstruating. This amount equals over 13,000 New Zealand dollars per person.
Cameron stated that since the introduction of period underwear, the alternative had been chosen more frequently because traditional products, such as tampons and sanitary pads, are approximately ten times more expensive.
“Our research shows that traditional sanitary products from the supermarket would cost up to $328 per annum. In comparison, a pair of period underwear lasts for around three years, costing as little as $33 each year,” revealed Cameron.
According to government research, one in 12 students has missed school due to the lack of accessibility to essential period products.
The significant concern regards the relationship between this lack of accessibility and missed education for a currently estimated 95,000 students every year. This number is only expected to increase.
“We know from our research that the global period panties market is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 17% from 2023 to reach US$375 million by 2030.”
In New Zealand, these growth rates are startingly greater, showing annual increases of 223 percent.
Period alternatives are not only more affordable but also have lower environmental impact compared to their traditional counterpart. With the ongoing cultural taboo surrounding the discussion of periods, Cameron shared that she is proud to be in partnership with Kiwi charity, The Period Place, which is driven to create a dialogue around menstruating and striving towards period equity.
“Our goal is to remove the awkwardness around period wear and give females back the confidence they want to enjoy everything they love. Together with my father, who is also my business partner, we are on a mission to encourage stigma-free conversations about periods. We hope to encourage everyone to learn and grow together.”
