Leading value retailer, Ackermans, will be taking action and raising awareness of #periodpoverty in South Africa in August with its sanitary pad initiative.
Merlin Norman, chief of marketing at Ackermans, is calling on all customers to purchase their sanitary pads at Ackermans. The retailer is partnering with Stayfree, Kotex, Anna Pure Organic and Lil-lets to match each purchase with a donation to The Homeless Sanitary Initiative. “Hearing the stats related to #periodpoverty and especially the amount of school-going girls being affected is heart-breaking. So many families are living on the bread line so putting food on the table is a priority. Buying pads is not an option with a budget that is stretched.”
Ackermans has also introduced reusable Palesa Pads in its stores in an effort to assist young people. These pads can be reused for up to five years – a young person’s high school career – at less than 20% of the cost of disposable pads. They provide a sustainable solution and can be used by people of all ages too.
In addition to the donation of sanitary pads to The Homeless Sanitary Drive, Ackermans will also be donating Palesa Pads to various schools around the country.
The University of Stellenbosch conducted its own research and discovered that 30% of learners are missing school while on their period*. Many of these learners end up dropping out of school due to an accumulation of missed days.
“No one should be held back because of her period. We need to make period equality a human right. Ackermans is committed to raising awareness of #periodpoverty, and we want to see girls back in school every day, getting an education and fulfilling their dreams,” concludes Norman.
For more information on Ackemans Sanitary Pad Initiative, please follow Ackermans on Instagram and Facebook or visit the Ackermans website.
Please use the hashtag #youbuyonewegiftone to spread the word when purchasing sanitary pads at Ackermans in August.
Source:
*https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/always-pads-school-girls-periods-south-africa/#:~:text=Lack%20of%20access%20to%20menstrual,a%20barrier%20to%20girls'%20education.&text=Meanwhile%2C%20research%20conducted%20by%20the,school%20while%20on%20their%20periods (Dec 2019)
About Ackermans
Our story began in 1916 when Gus Ackerman opened the doors to the very first Ackermans store in Wynberg, Cape Town. His vision was simple: making quality products affordable to everyone. Today, there are more than 740 Ackermans stores in five countries, and that vision is at the heart of every single one of them. We know that your family comes first and always will. You should be able to pay less without compromising on quality or style, freeing up cash for the important things in life. It starts with award-winning quality products at unbeatable prices but also includes exciting promotions, easy access to stores and friendly service. We call it Bringing Value to Life and it’s what we work toward every day.
