Locals encouraged to share dignity with women in need

Cobar woman Tamika Jade (pictured with her 11 month old son Dean) is currently  fundraising for Share the Dignity charity.
Cobar woman Tamika Jade (pictured with her 11 month old son Dean) is currently
fundraising for Share the Dignity charity.

Two Cobar women are encouraging other local women to get behind the Share the Dignity charity and donate to a very worthwhile cause.

Tamika Jade and Sarah Fleming are seeking donations of sanitary items for the Share the Dignity charity, which assists homeless women, women seeking refuge from domestic violence and drought stricken farmers in rural Australia to have access to personal hygiene items.

“It’s shocking to think that these vulnerable women do not have access to essential products,” Jade told The Cobar Weekly.

The Share the Dignity charity came about last year after founder Rochelle Courtenay read that many homeless women and also women in domestic violence shelters had to face unthinkable indignities during their monthly period.

For these vulnerable and at risk women, each month brought a shameful and traumatic experience.

She said after reading the article from the comfort of her home, and gaining the knowledge that many Australian women couldn’t take hygiene for granted during menstruation, she knew she couldn’t allow it to continue.

‘We believe that sanitary items should be a right not a privilege’, is the charity’s moto.

Tamika and Sarah are planning to hold a local fundraiser and are encouraging local women to come along.

“In the lead up to Christmas, Share the Dignity is running ‘It’s in the bag’.

“This initiative encourages people to fill an old handbag that they have at home with sanitary, beauty and hygiene products to give to women in need this festive season,” Tamika said.

“All the items we collect will go into a big box and will go to Share the Dignity in Sydney where they will be distributed to needy areas.”