Some feedback on the Dignity. Period! Campaign
We emailed ACTSA earlier today to ask how international supporters could make donations to the Dignity. Period! Campaign. Clicking on the image will take you to our post with a set of links, as well as guidance on how to add the button to your site; however, some people outside the UK have felt that the donation feature was restricted to people in the UK. This as the response we received:
We have just launched a new website, and should soon have a brand new online giving system, which will accept a wide range of cards.
That said, the old system (even though it still says it can only accept UK donations) should take international ones too, as long as they are with Visa or Mastercards.
Will let you know as soon as we have the new system in place will let you know
So please keep trying to donate via the old system.
ACTSA have also left two comments on our main campaign post which are worth drawing out here since they address some of the many questions raised in the comments section there. This is the first comment:
Dear All
I am writing from Action for Southern Africa, who run the Dignity. Period Campaign in solidarity with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
Two quick things, you can of course send products directly, but in our experience they rarely get through, and when we did try and geta consignment of donated pads into Zimbabwe from South Africa, the duty charged was huge.
We now buy directly from a local manufacturer in Harare, and get a great price, and they deliver them directly to women via the trade unions. In this way we also suport local employment and the Zim economy and not large multinational manufactuers.
Finally, on the pads that were siezed, this was an islolated incident, and while it may happen from time to time, we know that 99.9% of the 2.5million pads purchased so far have reached the women in need.
In solidarity
ACTSA
And this follow-up comment addressing the recurring question over Mooncups and Diva Cups:
One more thing - re mooncups/reuseable products
We have had dicussions re this with the women of ZCTU, and while they agree that in the future this would be good, the current situation means that they would rather have pads than resuseable products.
As with all solidarity campaigns, we take our lead from our partners on the ground - in this isnstance the ZCTU, so they want disposable pads, they get disposable pads!
We have had discussions with the manufacturers of mooncup, and they fully understand and are fully supportive of this campaign.
Finally, all of us at ACTSA and the ZCTU are so encouraged by the support from all of you, this campaign has really helped put the issue of Zimbabwe, and also the struggle for the meaningful advancement of women the world over, firmly on the agenda of so many people
la Luta Continua
In solidarity
ACTSA
We at Sokwanele would like to add our thanks to you all too. We’ve been so amazed by the number of people who have added the button to their blogs and websites. We’ve also been impressed at the diversity of debate stirred up in comments and gratified to realise that regardless of different opinions, everyone is in total agreement that Zimbabwean women deserve better, and that everyone is committed to trying to do their bit to help. So thank you very much.
January 15th, 2007 15:45
greetings all.
i think that it is disguisting for government to pur women in the predicament of having to choose between food for her family and sanitory proctection for herself. i think that if all governments begin by removing tax from your basic sanitory proctetion (even if we’re talking no name brand padsand you regard the choice of tampons as a luxury). according to my knowledge tax belongs to luxuries never to neccessities, and i know not any woman who choose to mensturate.
power to dignity.period!