Raising awareness around hygiene poverty in costly times
In a recent Hygiene Hub survey, 41% of participants admitted they had gone without or cut back on hygiene items because of their financial situation.
Showering, washing our hair and brushing our teeth are daily rituals that we often take for granted. Without these essential hygiene activities, we would feel unprepared — and unclean — for the day ahead. However, in the challenging times we live in with a cost-of-living crisis, homelessness and high rent, a growing number of people in Ireland are making the difficult decision between paying for food or buying hygiene items. It’s a stark choice, something that no-one should be faced with. It’s called hygiene poverty. But there is a way to deal with it.
National Hygiene Week, starting today, is all about raising awareness. Now in its third year, organised by Hygiene Hub, it’s an opportunity to include hygiene poverty in the public conversation and ensure that it’s part of the agenda for change. It brings together “thought leaders, community partners, grassroots organisers, schools, charities and volunteers” to demand action, says the Hygiene Hub.
“As part of this year’s campaign, we’re calling on the public to rethink poverty by considering what the reality of it looks like in Ireland today,” says Ciara Dalton, co-founder of Hygiene Hub (formerly known as the Hygiene Bank Ireland) who is the charity’s head of partnership.
She says there are various ways to get involved with both National Hygiene Week and Hygiene Hub. “We’re always looking for volunteers to come on board, to join one of our existing hubs or to start something in areas that we’re not currently working in. People can get involved on a more casual basis by hosting a hygiene drive. This is for schools, clubs or workplaces where a group of people come together to collect hygiene items. They make a donation to an organisation that is local to them. It works particularly well in schools and is something that Transition Year pupils can take on. It doesn’t require all that much. Pupils can bring in one or two hygiene items each but if every person donates one or two items, the group can make a huge difference to an organisation in need.”
Hygiene Hub, which was rebranded in May, separating from the UK Hygiene Bank, relies on the public for donations. “Like most charities in Ireland, we also receive corporate donations. People fund-raise for us and we receive grants through various organisations.”
Ms Dalton, whose background is in human rights, started working with the charity when it was solely in Dublin with a handful of drop off points across the city. It has since evolved to be nationwide.
“The need is absolutely huge. Before I got involved with Hygiene Hub, I had never heard of hygiene poverty and wouldn’t really have considered it to be an issue. But once you think about it, it made so much sense. We know people can’t afford to buy enough food and other basics but no one talked about people not being able to afford hygiene items. We are determined to change that.”
Last year, Hygiene Hub conducted research through Coyne Research and Aldi. “They found that 41% of those surveyed had gone without or cut back on hygiene items because of their financial situation. Some 48% prioritised other spending ahead of hygiene items. The figures are stark but they really do reflect the reality of what we see every day.”
Among those coming forward for support are people working in low-paid jobs as well as lone parents and people from single income households.
“There is definitely shame and stigma associated with hygiene poverty. There’s the emotional impact of not having access to hygiene products. It can have far-reaching implications across people’s lives. You can’t really engage fully with society if you don’t have access to essential hygiene items.”
Hygiene Hub is the only organisation in Ireland addressing the issue. “We regularly hear from organisations we work with that say without us, they’d be absolutely lost.”
It’s easy to contribute to this worthy cause. You can simply buy an extra hygiene product when you’re doing your weekly shopping and drop it off in one of about 80 locations around the country such as pharmacies and gift stores.
“It may not seem much but it can make a world of difference to someone who is struggling. It’s often a life-changing intervention for those who receive the items. We donate to people who are often forced to neglect self-care due to their circumstances. It can allow them for example, to begin looking after themselves again. Our work gives breathing space to those who need the support. It provides people with choices by offsetting a cost they can’t really afford. It could allow them buy a healthy option for dinner or buy a treat on Friday for their child.”
During the summer months, Hygiene Hub donates sun protection creams which can be expensive. “It means families can let their kids go out in the sun without having to worry about getting burnt.”
Ms Dalton says that the monthly cost of hygiene items for an adult and a child is €55. Nappies, for example, are very expensive. Some parents are forced to reuse dirty nappies because they can’t afford to buy new ones. “We can never have enough nappies. There’s a constant demand for them.
“We all make spending choices. For those living in poverty, the choices can be very stark. Everyday items most of us take for granted have become a luxury for some.
“We really have noticed the need for our service rise with the increased cost of living, hygiene items have gone up a huge amount in cost. According to the Consumer Price Index in March, they increased by 14% on the previous twelve months. We have also recorded a 26% increase in the cost of our shopping on the previous two years.”
Hygiene Hub started “slightly accidentally. We really just wanted to support our local community in a really practical way. None of us expected that it would become such a big part of our lives, but we have discovered that it is a huge issue affecting a lot of people across the country, so we had to expand and continue to support those who need us.”
Volunteers can bring their own skills to the initiative. “If you work in finance, you can volunteer to be the person that manages the weekly shopping for hygiene products. Or you could volunteer to look after social media for a local hub or you could become a donation co-ordinator.”
Hygiene Hub is collaborative, compassionate and all about community. Ms Dalton would like to see free period products rolled out officially across public buildings, schools and colleges. “We are all about spreading kindness. We fundamentally believe that everyone should have access to essential hygiene items and have an adequate standard of living,” says Ms Dalton.
