LIFE is about to become a bit easier for women in Tamworth.
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A connection made between the Share the Dignity and the Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS) has led to the city snagging its second pink vending machine.
The machines dispense free tampons and pads.
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The benefits for the community are several-fold: disadvantaged women and girls get free access to necessary sanitary products, but it also puts a spotlight on women's health more broadly.
"For young women, it is breaking the shame," TAMS worker Jamie-Lee Ride said.
"They are so embarrassed to get their period; we need to normalise it a bit.
"It is not just breaking the shame of it, but also being able to educate young women on how to do things properly."
Share the Dignity Tamworth volunteer Annie Turner said the vending machine would give some women an option to take care of themselves.
"There are women in communities who have to make decisions between putting food on the table and buying sanitary products for their monthly period," she said.
"If you are in a situation where you need to spend $20 or $30 on sanitary items in a month, or you could put that towards food for your family or a new pair of shoes for the kids, then women will make do.
"Women make do using a 99-cent home-brand pack of serviettes, rather than spending $20 on sanitary packs for the month."
The $10,000 machine was completely funded by Woolworths. Local stores recently took part in a "dignity drive", which called on shoppers to donate tampons and pads.
"One of the things we find with girls' things is people don't want to talk about it," Woolies manager Karen Verwey said.
"It is like a hidden thing ... But that got them vocalising and there were so many gentlemen buying things."
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
