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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt">From Women’s UN Report Network:</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.9pt">World’s First Global Forum on Period Poverty to Launch in Australia</span></b><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;letter-spacing:-.9pt">
(</span></b><a href="https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/global-period-poverty-forum"><span style="color:blue">Share the Dignity : Global Period Poverty Forum</span></a><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;letter-spacing:-.9pt">)<span style="color:#333333"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt">Leaders worldwide are uniting to ensure everyone can manage their period with dignity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><img border="0" width="639" height="358" style="width:6.6527in;height:3.7291in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D8777F.572A6DE0"></span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#8D8D8D;letter-spacing:-.1pt">Over 500 million people are thought to face period poverty across the world. | Unsplash<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt">By <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/authors/madeleine-keck/"><span style="color:#333333">Madeleine Keck</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt">June 2, 2022 - The first global forum on period poverty — a situation characterised by a lack of access to menstrual products, hygiene
facilities, waste management and education to appropriately manage menstruation — is coming to Australia this October. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt">The <a href="https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/global-period-poverty-forum" target="_blank"><span style="color:#333333">Global Period
Poverty Forum</span></a> will see the world’s top leaders in the field unite over three days in Brisbane. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><a href="https://www.psi.org/2020/10/psi-recognized-as-an-impactful-organization-delivering-change-for-menstrual-health-hygiene/#:~:text=Around%20the%20world%2C%20menstruation,to%20menstrual%20health%20and%20hygiene." target="_blank"><span style="color:#333333">Over
500 million people</span></a> are thought to face period poverty across the world.<br>
<br>
Stigma, shame, miseducation and sexism around menstruation, as well as general rates of global extreme poverty, are all sources of period poverty. Unsurprisingly, the issue disproportionately impacts low-income communities, those living in conflict-affected
areas and people in the aftermath of natural disasters. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt">Rochelle Courtnay, the founder and managing director of <a href="https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#333333">Share
the Dignity</span></a>, the Australian organisation behind the forum, said coming together will cut years off the period poverty eradication timeline.<br>
<br>
"Period poverty is something that we can completely eradicate if we unite and bring everybody on the journey; governments, brands, corporates and philanthropy,” Courtnay told Global Citizen. “The people who are attending will decide what the goal for the next
two years will be; it may be a large body of research, a global advocacy campaign on removing the stigma or ensuring all advocates have the tool to remove the tax on sanitary items in their countries.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><a href="https://www.freedom4girls.co.uk/about-us/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#333333">Founder of Freedom4Girls UK</span></a> Tina
Leslie said the forum would be “groundbreaking.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt">"The forum is fantastic news to all of us who fight for the menstrual equity of the people we support,” Leslie said in a statement.
“I truly believe we all need to keep the issue of period poverty on the worldwide agenda for governments and policy decision-makers, and I believe this forum will be a force to be reckoned with.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt">Share the Dignity is perhaps best known for spearheading the successful movement to <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/tampon-tax-axed-in-australia"><span style="color:#333333">scrap
Australia’s 10% tampon tax</span></a>, which previously saw the critical sanitary product taxed as a luxury item. The charity’s 2018 petition, which recorded over 100,000 signatures, is now widely considered the final push in a fiery, two-decade-long campaign
effort. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt">A 2021 survey by Share the Dignity revealed <a href="https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/blog/period-pride-report-bloody-big-survey-findings" target="_blank"><span style="color:#333333">1
in 5 Australians are forced to use unsuitable alternatives</span></a> because they could not afford pads, tampons or menstrual cups. Almost half of all 125,000 survey participants said they missed at least one day of school because of their period.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><a href="https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Poverty-in-Australia-2020_Part-1_Overview.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:#333333">Over
3 million Australians</span></a> live below the relative poverty line, more than half of whom are women and young girls.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:MarkWebPro-Book-W03-Regular;color:#333333;letter-spacing:-.1pt">The organisation has <a href="https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/dignity-drives" target="_blank"><span style="color:#333333">donated
3 million packets of pads and tampons</span></a> to Australians in need since its inception in 2015. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow">French Translation:</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lancement du premier forum mondial sur la pauvreté menstruelle au monde en Australie (Share the Dignity : Forum mondial sur la pauvreté menstruelle)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Les leaders du monde entier s'unissent pour s'assurer que chacun puisse gérer ses règles avec dignité.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On pense que plus de 500 millions de personnes sont confrontées à la pauvreté menstruelle dans le monde.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Le premier forum mondial sur la pauvreté menstruelle - une situation caractérisée par un manque d'accès aux produits menstruels, aux installations d'hygiène, à la gestion des déchets et à l'éducation pour gérer correctement les menstruations
- se tiendra en Australie en octobre.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Le Forum mondial sur la pauvreté pendant les périodes verra les meilleurs leaders mondiaux dans le domaine se réunir pendant trois jours à Brisbane.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On pense que plus de 500 millions de personnes sont confrontées à la pauvreté menstruelle dans le monde.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">La stigmatisation, la honte, la mauvaise éducation et le sexisme autour des menstruations, ainsi que les taux généraux d'extrême pauvreté dans le monde, sont tous des sources de pauvreté menstruelle. Sans surprise, le problème affecte de
manière disproportionnée les communautés à faible revenu, les personnes vivant dans des zones touchées par des conflits et les personnes à la suite de catastrophes naturelles.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Une enquête réalisée en 2021 par Share the Dignity a révélé qu'un Australien sur cinq est obligé d'utiliser des alternatives inadaptées parce qu'il n'a pas les moyens d'acheter des serviettes, des tampons ou des coupes menstruelles. Près
de la moitié des 125 000 participants à l'enquête ont déclaré avoir manqué au moins un jour d'école à cause de leurs règles.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Plus de 3 millions d'Australiens vivent en dessous du seuil de pauvreté relative, dont plus de la moitié sont des femmes et des jeunes filles.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L'organisation a fait don de 3 millions de paquets de serviettes et de tampons aux Australiens dans le besoin depuis sa création en 2015.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Kind regards<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-AU">Paradise Tabucala<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Public Relations & Communications Officer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"><img border="0" width="123" height="123" style="width:1.2777in;height:1.2777in" id="x_Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01D879DE.B95F97E0"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Pacific Disability Forum<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Ground Floor, Kadavu House, Victoria Parade | GPO Box 18458 | Suva, Fiji
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Phone: (+679) 3312008 | (+679) 3307530 <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Mobile: (+679) 8990 134 (Vodafone)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Fax: (+679) 3310469 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Email: <a href="mailto:paradise.tabucala@pacificdisability.org">
paradise.tabucala@pacificdisability.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Website: <a href="http://www.pacificdisability.org">
www.pacificdisability.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span lang="EN-NZ" style="font-family:"Abadi Extra Light",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> </span></b><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span lang="EN-NZ" style="font-family:"Abadi Extra Light",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Organisation in special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Commission
since 2012.</span></b><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><i><span lang="EN-NZ" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Abadi Extra Light",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">The information contained in this email message is intended only for
the addressee(s). If you <b>are</b> not the intended recipient, you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it, including any attachments. If you receive this email in error please notify the sender immediately</span></i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Abadi Extra Light",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> </span><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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