More than 27,000 vouchers per month
Talking about periods is still a taboo in many places. This is despite the fact that 50 per cent of all people in Austria are affected. For every girl and woman, periods are also a financial burden, as around 17,000 tampons or pads are needed over the course of a lifetime. This was reason enough for BIPA to launch the ‘Red Box’ initiative together with the City of Vienna in 2023. Almost a year and a half later, people with limited financial means now receive voucher booklets once a quarter at 270 locations - in youth centres, women's advice centres or social markets - and can use them to collect the specially designed ‘Red Box’ tampons or pads from the BIPA brand BI COMFORT free of charge from all BIPA shops in Vienna every month.
Deputy Mayor and City Councillor for Women Kathrin Gáal: ‘With the Red Box, we are providing support directly where it is needed most. After all, the opportunity for appropriate menstrual hygiene is a basic health need for all girls and women and should be a matter of course. The major women's survey ‘Vienna as she wants it’ showed that there was a need for action here and the current figures prove that we have hit the nail on the head.’
‘More than 27,000 vouchers are already being issued every month,’ says BIPA Managing Director Markus Geyer, confirming the success. ‘The huge demand quickly made it clear to us that we wanted to continue the initiative and devote even more attention to the topic in the future. Especially as a company where more than 90 per cent of all employees are women.’ In addition to financial support, BIPA is also committed to raising awareness of the issue.
Information in Arabic, English, Turkish and Ukrainian
A project evaluation by the City of Vienna has shown that the programme has been well received, but is not yet sufficiently understood by all target groups. For this reason, information is now available in different languages and the wording has also been adapted, as poverty is a term associated with a great deal of shame, even when it comes to the period. Non-verbal video material on the City of Vienna's website should also help to explain the collection process in a simple and low-threshold way and thus inform even more girls and women about the Red Box. People affected by period poverty often resort to unhygienic and dangerous alternatives such as leftover cloth or toilet paper, which in turn can lead to infections. However, feeling safe during your period is not only important for your body, it can also be psychologically stressful not being able to buy period products.
More than 6,000 euros flow into educational work
The ‘Red Box’ products can also be purchased in the BIPA shops in Vienna or via Click & Collect in the BIPA online shop. For every pack purchased, 50 cents are donated to educational work. In the first twelve months of the initiative, more than 6,000 euros were raised, which can now be used to sponsor 35 workshops for a total of 700 young girls on the topic of ‘Everything to do with menstruation’. The aim of the workshops is to impart knowledge about the menstrual cycle and the various products, but also to break down taboos and encourage girls to talk about their own feelings and needs and reduce their fears. ‘The Red Box is solidarity in action,’ says a delighted Peter Hacker, City Councillor for Health and Social Affairs. ‘Solidarity with those people who need our support. And also solidarity with all girls and women, because we bring the topic of menstruation out into the open and talk about it. It is unacceptable that girls and women are still ashamed of having their period. I am therefore particularly pleased about the school workshops.’ The workshops are organised and run by FEM Med, the women's health centre with three locations in Vienna, which is also a cooperation partner of the ‘Red Box’ initiative.
Further information:
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