The open-air theatre in the Zuiderpark is now an MUP (Menstrual Products Issue Point). An additional facility for all women who would benefit from free tampons or sanitary towels. A cabinet with these products can be found in the ladies' toilets. The Poverty Fund provides the contents of the locker and refills it on request.
"The MUP, it not only sounds really nice, it's also just really practical. Everything is getting more and more expensive and menstrual products are not getting cheaper either. Many women in The Hague cannot afford tampons or sanitary towels. This limits what they can do during their period. We are therefore very happy with this cooperation. If you want to donate your own products, we can of course put them in the cupboard," says Sanne Bakker of the theatre.
Poverty in the Netherlands
Despite the economic prosperity in the Netherlands, statistics show that our country still has poverty. In 2020, almost a million people were already living below the low-income threshold. This was especially true for single-parent families, single people under the age of 65, welfare recipients and people from non-Western backgrounds. The consequences impact on several areas, including financial, social, health and education. As hygiene is one of the first cost items that is usually saved on, the Dutch Poverty Fund created the MUP (Dutch Poverty Fund, 2022).