Here is a link to a website sponsored by Tampax and Always about their work with the UN to give pads to girls in Africa, supposedly because these girls miss school each month because they don’t have pads to wear.
Here is a t-shirt you can buy to support the program. It says “Use your period for good”:
The t-shirt costs $21.99. Of this, $1 goes toward the program.
This brings up all kinds of issues–for instance, where does the other $20.99 go? To Tampax and Always? What do these companies stand to gain from this? Positive publicity or lifelong customer loyalty in Africa?
It could also be used as part of a discussion about consumption and activism–the idea we have now that you can just buy something if you want to fix a social problem. If you pick up any fashion magazine, there will be a page or an article in it telling readers they can change the world by buying some product–nevermind that only a tiny part of the purchase price goes to the charity.
For other examples of shopping as activism, look here, here, and here.
Comments 5
Lisa — January 10, 2008
As a friend of mine said: "For good? As opposed to what!?"
Valena — January 10, 2008
why would a company be encouraging women to use disposable products that they will have to buy each month and become part of this dependent consumer cycle instead of using washable pads or something along those lines? I do appreciate companies that ideally are doing something positive even if it's to rally up good publicity and profits for themselves, but this...
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Steph — January 17, 2010
"the idea we have now that you can just buy something if you want to fix a social problem"
You couldn't have said it any better. I have always rolled my eyes at that stuff, especially the way the breast cancer awareness people have co-opted pink. For awhile it seemed that if I found something pink while shopping it had a ribbon on it, from tic tacs to hairdryers. I remember this campaign and I can't BELIEVE that only a dollar went towards helping those girls. Insane in the membrane.