Period poverty and the pink tax are some of the least discussed topics that impact uterus-bearing people today. As some states and countries have moved towards providing period products free of cost to people who have periods, others have opted to do what is in their control by covering the cost of the pink tax. You may have seen them all on TikTok, but if not, one company doing so is August.
August is a new company focusing on dispelling the taboos around periods, making period products more sustainable, and covering the pink tax so you don’t have to. Directly from them, we can learn that “August stands for dignity and respect, which is what the period space is missing. We believe that caring for your well-being is a noble pursuit that we can improve. And by returning dignity to a natural and powerful process and by operating from a place of inclusion, shamelessness, transparency, and care, we, at August, hope to help menstruators unlock their full potential throughout the month, every month.” By buying from August, not only are you getting a better deal on period products, but you can also support the environment.
Co-founded by Nadya Okamoto, a 23-year-old and founder of PERIOD, Okamoto has aided August’s push into social media fame through candid and relatable TikToks and an overall widespread social media presence. By reading through comments on many of Okamoto’s TikToks, one can see just how impactful her sharing of her daily routines and needs is. From young girls saying that they feel more prepared when their period comes, to others saying they feel more confident and less worried about using a tampon, to single father’s saying that they feel more comfortable discussing periods with their daughters, the impact is wide and clear.
On International Women’s Day 2022, August launched Loopholes, a fictional cereal company that highlights the issue of period poverty and its impacts on low-income individuals. Loopholes emphasizes the need for period products to be considered SNAP-eligible, and broadly food stamp eligible. Although sadly Loopholes isn’t real and hasn’t become the next step in confronting this issue, I highly recommend watching the TikToks released to “launch” loopholes to learn more about their mission.
If you want to get involved and do your part to fight period poverty, scroll to the bottom of Loopholes’ homepage and email your Congresspeople. We all have to start somewhere, and this may just be the place.