About Our Tiered Pricing
Join, Support, or Help us Sustain our Community with your Purchase: Every GaiaBox (and then some) gives a Menstrual Cup to a Menstruator facing Period Poverty
First things first...
Why do we let you pick your price?
Because we believe that equitable access to self-care and menstrual products is essential, not only to our mission but to the world.
At Gaia Collective we believe that the healing of the womb is synonymous with the healing of the world.
Our goal is to reach as many menstruators as possible with safe, effective, and personalized options for their menstrual care that empowers them. This is why we’ve tiered our prices to allow menstruators from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds access to our product. That being said, we know that in order to genuinely fulfill our mission, this is not enough and most menstruators may still find themselves priced out. This is where you come in. With your support we are able to commit to supplying Saalt menstrual cups to menstruators facing period poverty. We’re starting small and hope to keep going, with your support.
We’re proud to announce that McKinley High School in Washington, DC as the first group of menstruators to opt-in to receive FREE menstrual cups from this charitable partnership, made possible by every purchase you make in our shop.
What is period poverty?
Period poverty is exactly what it sounds like: poverty induced or linked directly to your need for period care products.
Period products are not covered food stamps and meanwhile, there are nearly 25 million women in the United States living in poverty and this number does not include the trans men, non-bianary, or intersex folks who also menstruate and are often twice as likely to experience poverty.
1 in 4 menstruators in America experience poverty related to their period care needs. This increases the chances of missing, dropping out, or underachieving in school, work, and seriously impacts longevity or upward mobility in terms of a career.
1 in 5 menstruators report missing school due to lack of access to menstrual care and often resort to using newspapers, rag, socks, or cardboard as a substitute for period products.
Recent studies have shown that among people who experienced period poverty, those who have faced prolonged lapses of adequate period care were most likely to show symptoms of moderate to severe depression and/or anxiety.
And this has gotten worse, not better. Many organizations distributing sanitary napkins, tampons, etc, have said that they have seen a 25% increase in demand for period products since the pandemic began.
These products are necessary and bring dignity to people who desperately deserve it but they also pose another problem all menstruators may find themselves unknowingly contributing to: toxic waste that is not only trashing our planet but our bodies, too.
Many of these products are filled with a long list of chemicals, bleach, and dyes that wreak havoc on our endocrine systems, top soils, and water quality.
All of this has an affect on our overall well being and is particularly damaging to people with inflammatory conditions like Endometriosis, IBS, Celiac’s, Chrones, and so many other “chronic” diseases.
This is why in our eyes, this also includes a healthy and nutritious diet, herbal supplements, and access to physical therapy, exercises, and education to support your womb health. These are the basic needs any womb needs to thrive and many women go into debt over just trying to “feel good.”
Our goal is to continue to expand our community by creating a safe space to come for all your period needs while supporting initiatives that bring sustainable period care all around the world, one menstruator at a time.
As a company, we’re here to empower you with products, perspectives, art, and knowledge that has empowered us. That’s why we’ve created multiple ways for you to get involved with our mission and community.
If the items in our shop are not something you’re looking for or need in your life but you feel aligned with our mission, please consider supporting us on Patreon.
We cannot thank you enough for your support.
Yours in Wombhood,
The Gaia Collective Team
Sources:
https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2020posts/period-poverty.html
https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-020-01149-5
https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/07/pandemic-health-disparity-period-poverty/