Everyone can be affected by precariousness. Women are often even more affected. In addition to all the problems of access to food, housing and medicine, they have to find money every month for their sanitary protection, which is essential for their dignity.
It's not that we don't want to, but we don't think much about offering them sanitary protection. This is why the association Règles Élémentaires was created, and as this is a cause that particularly concerns us, we have been supporting them since the creation of Luneale.
Who is Elemental Rules?
Règles Élémentaires is an association under the French law of 1901 created in 2015 by Tara Heuzé, which helps homeless or poorly housed women to access better menstrual hygiene.
To this end, the association :
- communicates on this specific topic to raise awareness of its importance.
- organises temporary or permanent collections of intimate hygiene products
- redistributes the fruit of its collections to third-party associations (Samu Social, Restos du Coeur, Croix Rouge, Secours Populaire, etc.), as these associations have few direct donations of this type of product.
History of the partnership Luneale x Basic Rules
The association was launched in November 2015, at the same time as we started marketing the Cup Luneale. We were already aware of the issue, as we were following initiatives launched in England, including Homeless Period, which Tara drew inspiration from to create Elementary Rules while studying in the UK.
So as soon as we heard about their launch, we immediately approached them to see how we could help.
But at that time we concluded together that the use of cups is not really compatible with the life of women on the street.
We were embarrassed that we could not do our part in this great struggle.
And then some time later, *a flash of genius*: Since 90% of people who switch to the cup abandon disposable pads, what do they do with the ones they have left in their cupboards? Obviously: send them to us to be collected for Elementary Rules!
Great results thanks to you!
Since then, we have collected thousands of sanitary pads thanks to you.
You have mobilised, sometimes sending huge parcels, sometimes envelopes with 3 stamps, every gesture counts and touches us deeply, all your shipments are useful.
We are also very happy about the little words you sometimes write to us during your expeditions, because it proves to us that this partnership really means something to you.
To take the partnership a step further, we have started to accompany the association's teams to gynaecological clinics for vulnerable women in order to inform them about alternative protection, namely cups and washable pads.
Luneale provided a cup for those who wanted one, and Dans Ma Culotte provided the washable pads. The women we saw lived mainly in slums and few had access to clean water, which is necessary to use the pads safely. The cup has its limits, we know that...
We also spoke at the conference held to mark the second anniversary of Règles Élémentaires, alongside, among others, Elise Thiébaut (the author of Ceci est mon Sang and Les Règles, quelle Aventure, which you can find in all good bookshops), Juliette Boutillier (author of the radio report Rouge Comme les Règles in the LSD series on France Culture, which we strongly invite you to listen to) or Martin Besson, the founder of magazine Sans A_ which makes the invisible visible.
In the future, we will most likely participate in information roundtables in women's shelters and hostels, as it is likely that in these places, the hygienic conditions will be met so that more women will be willing to try the cup safely.
And of course, we continue to collect.
How can we help Elementary Rules?
If you want to help Elementary Rules, it's very simple:
- Go to their website to check if there is a collection pointnear you.
- If there is no collection point, you can send your protections to the following address
Elementary Rules x Luneale
La Cité Audacieuse
9 rue de Vaugirard
75006 Paris
What can you send?
Only tampons, pads and panty liners: the packages can be opened or closed, you can even send them in bulk if the second package is 'clean'.
How can you help if you can't send protection?
Everything is possible: you can talk about the initiative around you, organise a temporary collection in a supermarket, talk to your boss about setting up a permanent collection box in your company, etc.
Every little bit helps!
This partnership makes sense thanks to you. So to conclude, we would like to thank you once again on behalf of all those for whom it is no longer necessary to choose between buying sanitary protection and buying food.
Please feel free to give us other ideas for action in the comments!
