A CAMPAIGN group dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of women – including ending ‘Pink Tax’, stopping period poverty, and spreading awareness about the menopause – met to share ideas and drive forward its aims.

Cheshire Women's Collaboration (CWC) brought together leading influencers, including businesswomen, health professionals, university academics and charity organisations at its annual conference.

High on the agenda was eliminating period poverty in Cheshire, creating safe outdoor spaces for girls, and tackling workplace inequality, particularly for women going through the menopause.

CWC chair Kate Blakemore, founder of charity Motherwell Cheshire, spoke about the difficulties facing women and girls trying to afford period products and the lack of basic understanding around their needs at that time of the month.

She said: “It's incredible in this day and age that women and girls still have to feel embarrassed about being on their periods and throughout their lives spend thousands of pounds on costly sanitary products.

“A partnership collaboration between Period Power, Motherwell Cheshire, Weaver Valley Rotary, Changing Lives Together and Cheshire West Inspirers is working together to eliminate Period Poverty in Cheshire.” 

Moneysaving expert Martin Lewis recently highlighted the high cost of products marketed towards women in pink packaging, including painkillers which they often need around their periods.

CWC is working with Cheshire West Community Inspirers on a campaign to end 'Pink Tax' which hikes the price of toiletries and medicines used by women. 

Kate, a mum of three, added:  "In a national study of 1,000 girls, more than half were embarrassed by their period and stayed off school and more than 137,000 missed school because they couldn't afford sanitary products.

“CWC is calling for donations of these products direct to Motherwell or local Foodbanks."

Also at the conference, Make Space for Girls, a national charity led by former lawyer Imogen Clark from Frodsham, highlighted the need for town planners to think beyond skate parks and BMX tracks for teens, instead adding well-lit sheltered seating areas.

The need for better provision was supported by national statistics around safety; one in five young women had been ‘flashed’ at and the vast majority of those surveyed felt scared in parks and on public transport.

Women in Sport researcher Dr Emily Lovett from Edge Hill University highlighted the risks of inactivity often due to fear of using public spaces or lack of toilet facilities.

CWC is working with Make Space for Girls and the London School of Economics on a research project, Are Girls Being Designed out of Public Spaces.

Meanwhile it has forged links with Manchester Art Gallery where a special project, Uncertain Futures, is investigating inequalities facing women over 50 relating to work and worklessness.

The meeting also heard from British Menopause-accredited specialist Dr Jane Wilkinson, based at Liverpool Women's Hospital, who spoke about the often long-lasting symptoms, HRT prescription costs, topical treatments and lifestyle factors that can help the transition. 

CWC is lobbying for menopause specialists to be made available in every Cheshire surgery and for social prescribers and GPs to offer more holistic support.

Women can back its efforts by joining the Menopause Cafe movement across Cheshire and following on Facebook.  

To support its various initiatives or join the Cheshire Women's Collaboration sub committees, email cheshirewomenscollaboration@gmail.com.