In the winter of 2019, two sisters in Wroclaw, Poland, were discussing the plights of menstruating every month. Everyone who has periods will have at least one or two stories about a time when a particularly heavy flow unhappily coincided with a busy day –– leading to embarrassing leaks at work or at school. The sisters then wondered: how much harder must dealing with your period each month be if you do not have access to basic menstrual products?
They quickly realized this issue wasn’t limited to homeless people in Poland. A 2020 study by the Polish Kulczyk Foundation found that 21% of Polish students miss classes due to a lack of menstrual products, and 10% stay home entirely during their periods. Inspired by Poland’s community refrigerators, in which people leave surplus food for others to take, the two sisters came up with an idea: they would install pink lockers in public spaces, filled with free pads and tampons. As in the fridge system, anyone could take from these boxes what they needed, or leave whatever they could spare. They called them Pink Boxes, and they founded a small grassroots-organisation under the same name. They installed a few of these Pink Boxes in Wroclaw.
Fast forward exactly five years to December 2024, and you’ll find that most Poles would recognize a Pink Box. Many can probably point you to the location of a box nearby, should you be in need of some products. The initiative boasts 17,000 boxes across the country – colouring the map pink.
A niche issue?
“Who would have thought? Period poverty sounds like a niche issue, right?” Ewa Szymera, now on the Pink Box foundation’s management board, laughs. “We figured we might have a few boxes in Wroclaw and nearby towns, nothing big. But the response surprised us.” As interest grew, Pink Box began reaching out to NGOs, schools, even prisons. Journalists covered the story – spreading the word. “Soon, people all across Poland were approaching us!”
Pink Box is now a major organization, shaping policy, fighting period poverty, and breaking taboos around menstruation in Poland. “And most surprising of all: this issue has united our otherwise super-fragmented society,” Ewa says.
From feminist groups to priests and nuns: everyone seems to agree that access to menstrual products is essential. “The thing is: it’s not ideological, right? It’s practical,” says Ewa. And as emailed requests for Pink Boxes began pouring in, boxes were installed in places as diverse as churches, libraries, schools, universities, hospitals, and workplaces. Using an initial database of the email addresses that had been used to make these requests, the Pink Box team, with some guidance and support from ECDA, decided to take their project online: they launched their online activities with a petition directed at the former Minister of Education – who had then recently publicly dismissed period poverty as a topic that did not fall under the responsibility of his government. In just one month, Pink Box gathered over 70,000 signatures.
Digital safe space
“That petition was a turning point,” Ewa reflects. “It really showed us the power of mobilizing a community at the right moment. People were so angry when the minister dismissed the need for systemic solutions, claiming individual schools should handle it. Their frustration fueled the shared cause.”
As their online supporter base grew, the Pink Box team launched more campaigns. Some of these were aimed specifically at building community amongst their supporters, such as a campaign during which they asked people to send in their personal stories about period poverty – leveraging the power of storytelling and creating a digital safe space in which this topic (still largely taboo in Polish society) could be discussed freely and openly, without judgement or shame. Especially during a time when Poland was still ruled by the conservative Law and Justice Party – and hate speech against women, the LGBTQI+-community and other minorities was rampant – creating a non-judgemental, inclusive space like this felt important to the Pink Box team.
They therefore made sure to always use simple, clear, inclusive language that could not make anyone feel shut out of the initiative: they wanted all people to feel welcome, regardless of their background, politics and beliefs.
“Sharing is caring”
Currently, the team is working on an online ‘Menstrual Academy’ that will be freely available online, functioning as a resource for teachers, parents and students. Pink Box sends out newsletters twice a week and runs online campaigns, often collecting more than 10,000 petition signatures. Besides providing products they also teach menstrual health workshops in schools.
Pink Box also leverages prominent voices – to reach young people and further galvanize support. A campaign that is underway now, will be centered around two videos in which Polish influencers ask teenagers questions about menstruation. “They are so honest and natural,” Ewa says. “I love the result.”
Ewa believes that the success of the organisation – apart from the instant recognizability of their Pink Boxes, and the fact that this topic seems to unite such diverse groups of people – lies in the fact that Pink Box focuses on creating opportunities for people to contribute. “Sharing is caring,” she says. “Our boxes provide products for those in need, but they also offer people a way to support others. This builds connections and community, which has always been one of our core goals.” Pink Box is also financed via an online fundraising program, giving people the opportunity to feel part of the movement even if their free time is limited. Getting all these people involved is what has turned Pink Box into a movement rather than simply an organization.
Blue boxes & trolls
Despite the success, the journey hasn’t been without obstacles, Ewa says. “In the beginning, we faced accusations of ‘sexualizing children’ through our workshops,” she recalls. “These comments were hurtful. We are providing education and resources; everyone deserves reliable information about their bodies.” The initiative also faced skepticism from some men. “People asked why we didn’t have ‘blue boxes’ for razors or condoms,” Ewa says with a laugh. “We told them our mission is menstrual health, but they’re welcome to start their own initiatives!” Online, the team has dealt with trolls and hateful comments. “First we tried engaging with them, but we quickly realized that they were just trolls,” Ewa recalls. “Now, we ignore negativity and focus only on comments that actually offer constructive feedback. They help us grow.”
The ultimate goal of Pink Box
The Pink Box team ultimately strives to create systemic change in Poland. “We want the government to guarantee access to menstrual products for everyone,” says Ewa. “Our dream is a law like Scotland’s 2021 Period Products Act, which mandates universal access to free menstrual products.” Pink Box is already taking steps toward this goal. With the new Minister of Health, Pink Box has launched a pilot program in 500 schools to supply menstrual products – laying the groundwork for a more comprehensive program and even potential legislation in the future. “Our ultimate dream is for every person who menstruates to have access to menstrual products,” Ewa explains. “Just like toilet paper or soap in public restrooms. As a basic right.”
If you want to know more about Pink Box and their work, join our next Feminist soiree! Send us an email at info@centerfordigitalaction.eu