Cysters, a Birmingham-based health inequity charity, is experiencing increased demand for menstrual products as the cost-of-living crisis deepens, according to founder and CEO Neelam Heera-Shergill. The organisation, set up 14 years ago, distributed 6,000 period products in a single weekend at its peak, reflecting what Heera-Shergill describes as a growing poverty gap, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charity's mission and partnerships
Heera-Shergill, 37, founded Cysters to support menstrual, maternal and mental health, aiming to create an environment where 'everyone feels seen, supported and able to thrive.' The charity operates across Birmingham and the West Midlands, focusing on underserved communities.
One of its key initiatives is distributing menstrual products through a partnership with Hey Girls, which operates a buy-one-give-one scheme. 'We get literally a pallet load delivered to us and we distribute that through our volunteers, to our networks,' Heera-Shergill told BirminghamLive. The charity has a network of regular recipients and relies on volunteers to manage distribution.
Rising demand and period poverty
Heera-Shergill noted that demand has not eased over time. 'The demand hasn't changed, if anything it's got heavier,' she said. At one point, the charity had to split its last few boxes of period products between three different organisations, highlighting the scale of need.
She attributed the growing demand to widening economic inequality. 'We're finding [that] the demand on the products is getting bigger as well. We've definitely noticed the demand hasn't changed, if anything it's got heavier,' she added. Heera-Shergill believes the 'poverty gap' has grown over the years, 'particularly since COVID.'
The CEO explained that individuals from underserved communities often face significant financial disadvantages. 'We know particularly if you're from an underserved community, you aren't paid as much as your cis male white counterparts, and I think it's around £20,000 on average, an average period costs,' she said. She added: 'That's quite a lot of money [and] that's a normal period. If you're struggling with heavy menstrual bleeding, where you could be bleeding months at a time - that costs even more. I think that it's poverty generally.'
Stigma and wider issues
Heera-Shergill also highlighted the stigma surrounding period poverty, which she says compounds the problem. 'It's almost more socially acceptable to say that I'm struggling to buy food than it is to say I'm struggling to buy period products,' she said. 'I think that in itself is indicative of a wider issue that we're not talking about something that's actually quite natural and normal and happens to all women.'
She emphasised that tackling shame and stigma is a necessary step before addressing the root causes of period poverty. 'Some of the stuff we're tackling, some of the things that make me quite upset about it is we're actually tackling shame and stigma before we're actually tackling the root cause of the issue as well,' she said.
How to support Cysters
Brummies who wish to donate to Cysters can do so through the charity's website. Those wanting to donate menstrual products are advised to collect them together, for example, in a 'bin liner full,' according to the charity.
