Share the Dignity Founder Rochelle Courtenay is calling for community support with its latest campaign Every Girl Should Receive an Education to raise half a million dollars for disadvantages girls. On Friday 8 March businesses and individuals across Australia are invited to celebrate International Women’s Day by hosting their own Every Girl Deserves an Education fundraiser.
The campaign comes after a recent study by UNICEF showed that some girls will miss up to four days a month of school as a result of menstruation and fear of embarrassment or shame, which subsequently impacts on their learning and self-confidence. “We need our girls to have access to sanitary items so that they’re not missing school because of their periods. We can do that by installing these machines in as many schools as possible, so we need to raise the much-needed funds to make that happen,” said Rochelle.
Campaign participants will be provided with a toolkit providing all the items that they need to make their event successful, and it is hoped that the events will raise much needed funds to continue installing the specially made PinkBox Dignity Vending Machines in schools within low socioeconomic regions. “There are 3.2 million people in Australia living below the poverty line and 52 per cent are females. Just because a girl cannot afford sanitary products, I don’t believe she should ever miss school. Our girls are our future leaders and every girl deserves the right to an education,” said Rochelle.
Rochelle personally championed and designed the vending machines, and to date 100 have already been installed in locations in every state and territory of Australia. As part of the Every Girl Deserves and Education initiative, Share the Dignity intends to increase that number to 250 by the end of 2019, by installing 100 more machines in schools where they are needed most. Those interested in hosting a fundraising event as part of International Women’s Day are asked to visit Share the Dignity online to sign up and download their fundraising toolkit.
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