The Little Black Bag Inc. was established in 2017 with the mission of providing menstrual hygiene products to individuals in need. Since then, The Little Black Bag has become a 501(c)(3) organization, expanded its target population to reach various counties, rural and urban, throughout North Carolina, formed meaningful partnerships with several organizations including: businesses, schools, colleges and universities, churches, and other community focused organizations. 

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The purpose that drives the mission of The Little Black Bag is to combat period poverty and bring awareness about the challenges of those who experience period poverty, and the awareness of period tax. 

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Period poverty is described as social, economical, cultural, and political barriers to proper menstrual hygiene education, resources, or sanitation. Specifically these things include: menstrual hygiene pads/tampons/cleansing items, education about proper menstrual hygiene, hygiene facilities, waste management, or a combination of all. 

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• Globally, period poverty impacts about 500 million individuals.

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•  In America, about 20 million women live below the poverty line, additionally, about two thirds of women with lower incomes were reported to have experienced period poverty. 

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• Period tax is a tax that is calculated for non-essential items. In 22 states, menstrual hygiene products are seen as non-essential and the pricing includes period tax.

 

Due to the menstrual health barriers faced by many individuals, The Little Black Bag is dedicated to its mission of providing menstrual health resources to combat period poverty, bringing awareness about period poverty and period tax in hope to demolish the usage of period tax, and uplifting and inspiring a community of people.