Periods in a Pandemic: how UK period poverty initiatives are managing with Covid-19 related challenges

时期贫困不仅指在获得时期产品方面的经济困难，而且还指女孩和月经期妇女受教育、资源、权利和免于耻辱的贫困(1)。自2020年3月以来，以及由于新冠肺炎大流行而引入的封锁/社会距离措施，每10名女孩(14-21岁)中有超过1人买不起当时的产品，而必须使用临时产品(卫生纸、袜子/其他织物、报纸/纸)。在那些买得起产品的人中，近四分之一(22%)很难获得产品，主要是因为他们在商店里找不到产品，或者因为他们通常的来源/S的产品/已关闭(2)。社区/非营利组织在努力继续支持那些经历时期贫困的人时，面临着与新冠肺炎封锁措施相关的新挑战。挑战包括获取时期产品的库存、受封锁限制的产品的分发、工作人员/志愿者援助的可用性以及“新的”弱势群体的出现。迫切需要了解各项举措是如何适应挑战的，以继续支持那些在大流行病期间经历时期贫困的人的需求。这些数据对于指导当前的做法、制定政策、在当前的危机和任何未来的危机中制定战略，以及确保妇女和女孩的声音得到集中至关重要。该项目建立在现有有限知识的基础上，通过深入了解英国的倡议和项目如何缓解与新冠肺炎相关的挑战，检查它们如何继续满足那些经历时期贫困的人的需求，并找出供应方面的任何差距。1.Montgomery P.等人，2016年。月经与贫困的循环。PLOS One 11(12)：E0166122.2。国际计划英国，2020年。英国女童权利状况：对冠状病毒大流行对女童影响的早期洞察。伦敦：国际计划英国

Period poverty refers not only to economic hardship with accessing period products, but also to a poverty of education, resources, rights and freedom from stigma for girls and menstruators (1). Since March 2020, and the introduction of lockdown/social distancing measures as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 1 of every 10 girls (aged 14-21) cannot afford period products and instead must use makeshift products (toilet roll, socks/other fabric, newspaper/paper). Nearly a quarter (22%) of those who can afford products struggle to access them, mostly because they cannot find them in the shops, or because their usual source/s is low on products/closed (2).Community /non-profit initiatives face new challenges related to Covid-19 lockdown measures as they strive to continue to support those experiencing period poverty. Challenges include accessing stocks of period products, distribution of products given lockdown restrictions, availability of staff/volunteer assistance and the emergence of 'new' vulnerable groups. There is an urgent need to capture how initiatives are adapting to challenges, to continue to support the needs of those experiencing period poverty during the pandemic. This data is crucial to informing current practice, shaping policy, developing strategies within the ongoing crisis and any future crises, and ensuring women and girls' voices are centralised.The project builds upon existing limited knowledge by providing insight into how UK based initiatives and projects are mitigating challenges linked to Covid-19, by examining how they are continuing to meet the needs of those experiencing period poverty and identifying any gaps in provision. 1. Montgomery P., et al., 2016. Menstruation and the Cycle of Poverty. PLoS ONE 11(12): e0166122.2. Plan International UK, 2020. The State of Girls' Rights in the UK: Early insights into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on girls. London: Plan International UK