Red Alert

Menstrual poverty, including the lack of menstrual products such as tampons, menstruation cups or sanitary towels, is a widespread but not very well-known problem in Belgium. Kaaitheater wants to help bring this issue to the attention of the public and offer free tampons and sanitary napkins to staff, visitors and performers by providing 'Red Alert' boxes.

The ‘Red Alert’ box was created as a response to recent studies on menstrual poverty in young women that appeared in the report ‘Position on menstrual poverty and combating menstrual poverty’ by the Flemish Women's Council (in Dutch), the umbrella organisation for associations working on equal opportunities for women and men within a diverse society. The report examines the extent to which (young) women have access to the resources they need to manage their menstruation safely and comfortably. For example, it appears that 12% of girls cannot afford to buy menstrual products. The lack of protection prevents them from going to school or enjoying culture. In addition, the problem often remains 'invisible' due to the shame surrounding menstruation: about 28% of girls find it difficult to talk about menstruation.

From 16 June 2021 onwards you will find a ‘Red Alert' box made from recycled wood in the toilets at Kaaitheater and Kaaistudios. With this we offer visitors, artists and employees free tampons and sanitary towels and we want to ask for more recognition for the problem. We want to encourage other organisations to do the same: the more places that offer free menstrual products, the greater the difference we can make together.