New York—17 November 2022—This week, 6,000 CouldYou? menstrual cups were shipped to Poland for distribution to Ukrainian women on the frontline, refugee camps, and clinics as part the Ukrainian American House’s and other NGO's humanitarian efforts. The distribution of the CouldYou? menstrual cups addresses a basic human need not often considered as part of humanitarian relief packages. Unlike typical paper menstrual products like tampons and pads, which are single-use products, the CouldYou? Cup is one product that can be reused for up to ten years. Once sterilized, the cup requires only basic washing to maintain.
The 6,000 cups, produced by New York 501(c)(3) non-profit CouldYou?, will be sent initially to Poland where half the cups will remain for distribution to Ukrainian refugees. The other 3,000 CouldYou? Cups will be delivered by Ukrainian American House to medical institutions in Ukraine, including the maternity hospital in Rivne and the largest children's hospital in Okhmatdyt. In addition to distribution to medical clinics, Ukrainian American House will be sending the CouldYou? Cup to women on the frontline. "There are serious problems supplying goods to regions under shelling, so providing women with reusable menstrual cups will help our soldiers cope with the constant shortage of menstrual products," said Vlad Skots, chairman of the Ukrainian American House, a Rancho Cordova-based non-profit promoting Ukrainian-American cooperation. In Poland, the CouldYou? Cup will be donated to Ukrainian refugees with Grace International, JCC Krakow, Fundacja ESPA, and Bread of Life.
CouldYou?’s Ukrainian distribution partner, the Ukrainian American House, has been providing humanitarian, economic and recovery support to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees. Skots said “getting the menstrual cups to Ukrainian women in need is the dignified response” to this much ignored need. “We appreciate everything that CouldYou? has done to provide Ukrainian women the cup and finding a long-lasting solution to a serious yet often overlooked problem,” he continued.
Christine Garde Denning, founder and CEO of CouldYou?, echoed Skots sentiment that the menstrual needs of women are not often considered as part of humanitarian aid packages as much as they should be: “We cannot ignore that 50% of our global population will menstruate at some point in their lives. We also cannot ignore that where there are problems getting supplies, including food and medicine, there are problems getting menstrual products to those who need it." "No woman should ever find herself in a situation where she cannot meet her basic needs with dignity,” Garde Denning said. Garde Denning’s nonprofit developed the CouldYou? Cup to provide a safe, sustainable, and affordable solution to period poverty. Period poverty refers to the inability to afford or access menstrual products.
Several months ago, CouldYou? began working with groups providing assistance to Ukrainian refugees in Poland and Garde Denning saw first-hand how great the need was for menstrual products. She then reached out to Ukrainian American House offering the CouldYou? Cup donation to help address the need. "Ukraine American House, their partners, and the Ministry of Health in Ukraine all wanted the cup," said Garde Denning. "We have been asked to provide another 25,000 cups, so we are urgently trying to find funding to fulfil this request," continued Garde Denning, "There are over 7.5 million Ukrainian refugees and among them is someone’s mother, sister, cousin, daughter, or friend who will need menstrual products.” CouldYou? is actively raising funds through their “Give 1/Get 1” program and donation platform on couldyoucup.org to continue with this relief effort. “There is a desperate need here, and we want to continue supporting the phenomenal work Ukrainian American House and the other NGOs are doing to provide relief to Ukrainians,” stated Garde Denning.
CouldYou?’s efforts not only focus on communities of needs internationally, but in the US as well. Her organization, committed to ending period poverty by 2040, is currently at the forefront in changing legislation to include the menstrual cup as a “period product” in the more than 60 menstrual equity laws which would enable the cup to be included in distribution at schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, and through other state and federal institutions.
For more information, contact Christine Garde Denning at christine@couldyou.org.
