An essential part of any committee room

I saw a discussion elsewhere on social media about this and thought it was worth mentioning here.

If you are running a committee room on polling day, or in fact any election HQ, bear in mind that you are likely to have people there who have periods. It is also very probable that they will be there for many hours working very hard.

It is therefore essential that you make some provision for them. It’s really quite simple. This post will tell you what you need to do and why. It’s very simple. A packet of basic sanitary pads (which I wouldn’t bother hiding away) and a little bin with a lid  which you can buy incredibly cheaply from most supermarkets can make a very big difference to people. 

Apparently this was at one stage written into guidance for running by-elections but has been lost somewhere in the “Useful publications that time forgot” folder. Next time anyone is revising these procedures, this is something that they should include.

Are there any other things that we often don’t think about that would make life easier for our volunteers?

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings

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14 Comments

  • Mavarine Du-Marie 2nd Aug '15 - 4:57pm

    Better yet, why don’t females who menstruate learn to use a ‘Moon Cup’ which is environmentally friendly.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup

  • Caron Lindsay Caron Lindsay 2nd Aug '15 - 5:37pm

    That may not suit everyone. Best to accommodate all potential needs.

  • Mavarine Du-Marie 2nd Aug '15 - 6:00pm

    True.

    Additionally, but alternatives should always be considered. For what isn’t mentioned in certain circles is that if you are poor, this helps budget for personal hygiene over a longer period of time rather than a monthly cost outlay.

    For It has been known that poor women in the UK starve themselves purposely to stop their menstruation cycle, because they can’t afford the cost of personal hygiene products and they still have to meet the bills regardless of menstruation. Men don’t have to contend with this added financial burden.

  • Jane Ann Liston 2nd Aug '15 - 10:44pm

    I would also have a selection of Giles election cartoons on the wall, especially the one from 1974 showing someone doing knock-up with a butterfly-net. Keeps up morale.

  • suzanne fletcher 3rd Aug '15 - 12:39am

    can you share the cartoons please

  • peter tyzack 3rd Aug '15 - 10:03am

    We must re-start the campaign for basic personal hygiene products to be VAT-free, it should not be considered a luxury to be clean and healthy.

  • @peter tyzack does that apply to soap, shampoo, razors and shaving foam?

  • Mavarine Du-Marie 3rd Aug '15 - 10:50am

    @Peter,

    Thank, thank you for stating this. It is something I’ve been saying for years, and no-one has taken a blind bit of notice!! Poor women in this country don’t used it as a luxury but a necessity: for their dignity and decency, it shouldn’t be a social class decision based on luxury and privilege.

  • Jane Ann Liston 3rd Aug '15 - 2:01pm

    @suzanne Here are some of them:

    http://www.gilescartoons.co.uk/cartoonsearch.asp

    though the butterfly net one doesn’t seem to be there.

  • Ruth Bright 4th Aug '15 - 9:01pm

    TCO – I am not surprised you wish to remain anonymous if you think mopping up blood is a luxury.

  • George Crozier 6th Aug '15 - 12:00am

    Its a myth that VAT only applies to luxuries – clothes, toilet paper, heating bills all have VAT applied for a start.

    That’s not to say there is not a strong case for sanitary towels to be exempt, though that would require a change in the rules at EU level as they don’t currently permit new exemptions.

  • Mavarine Du-Marie 6th Aug '15 - 7:15am

    George Crozier 6th Aug ’15 – 12:00am – “Its a myth that VAT only applies to luxuries – clothes, toilet paper, heating bills all have VAT applied for a start.”

    I agree somewhat. But would add that, whilst we all wear clothes, wipe our asses, and try to keep warm in the home, there is a gender bias when it comes to sanitary towels or tampax or any product for menstruation purposes, in that it only applies to females. Now if men were to menstruate too, then it could be understood that the VAT applied is a fair, but as it stands, it looks to be, that for females, an exploitation due to their biological function and gender. And this can not be right.

  • Mavarine Du-Marie 9th Aug '15 - 6:33pm

    Campaigning has already began:

    “Kiran Gandhi, a Harvard Business School graduate and who has played drums for singer M.I.A., decided to run the London Marathon without a tampon. Gandhi let her blood flow freely to raise awareness about women who have no access to feminine products and to encourage women to not be embarrassed about their periods.”

    Website: http://www.people.com/article/kiran-ghandi-runs-marathon-without-tampon-bleeds-freely?xid=socialflow_facebook_peoplemag

  • Mavarine Du-Marie 9th Aug '15 - 7:12pm

    Also another example of the reason for highlight this beyond the committee room:

    “Periods can be highly problematic for so many women in the world. In Uganda where 94% of girls report having problems in school due to their cycles, missing approximately 11% of their academic year, and seeing many of those girls drop out completely. More locally, homeless shelters and teen drop in centers find they are often lacking in feminine hygiene products to provide to women. This is because few think to donate those items. These are the type of problems one is attempting to redirect our attention to via these public statements.”

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