Activist Feature: Dana Marlowe
Dana Marlowe is a business owner, human rights advocate, and founder of I Support The Girls (ISTG). ISTG is a non-profit providing bras, underwear, and menstrual hygiene products to women and gender-expansive people experiencing homelessness and surviving natural disasters. Through their global affiliates, ISTG has donated over 21 million products to those in need.
FEMINIST sat down with Marlowe to discuss her journey to creating I Support The Girls, the importance of talking about menstruation, and everyone's right to dignity.
Find out how you can get involved with ISTG here 💗
You have referred to yourself as an “accidental activist” - can you tell us more about this and how it incorporates into the ISTG origin story?
Back in 2015, I sought a bra fitting after losing a considerable amount of weight. I asked the fitter what I could do with my used bras that no longer fit me, and she said the four words that changed my life’s work: “Homeless women need bras.”
Unable to get that idea out of my head, I contacted a women's shelter near my Washington, D.C. home and learned that both bras and menstrual products are the most in-demand but the least donated products. I was surprised by this and wanted to share this information with others.
I posted what I learned on Facebook, encouraging my friends to donate any gently used bras they no longer wear (we all have some tucked in the back of our drawer, right?). I asked everyone to drop off these bras, as well as new and sealed menstrual products, at my house so I could include them with my own contributions. Within a couple of weeks, I had 8,100 products to take to the shelter. Through that single good deed, I discovered a massive problem and a natural way to solve it – and I Support the Girls (ISTG) was born.
Since 2015, ISTG has collected, stored and distributed 24+ million products to 4,500+ social service agencies. We created a global infrastructure to tackle period poverty worldwide through three warehouses, 53 affiliates and a fleet of vehicles.
What made you decide to focus especially on sourcing bras, underwear, and hygiene products for those in need?
It’s about restoring dignity, plain and simple. Periods don’t stop for natural disasters, homelessness or when you’re displaced as a refugee, immigrant, or survivor of domestic violence or sex trafficking. Bras and menstrual hygiene products typically aren’t accessible as people experiencing these stressful situations worry about their safety, their next meal, going to work or school, etc. This is a public health crisis people don’t like to talk about because periods are shockingly still considered a taboo topic in many aspects of our culture.
How do you use your power to empower your community?
Through ISTG’s donations, shelters, food banks and other social service programs have a steady supply of free products for the people who need them the most. Our vast network also serves as the backbone for our disaster response team to move supplies quickly and efficiently.
We hope these donations give those who receive them one less thing to worry about. But, more than that, we hope each product serves as a reminder that these people are human beings worthy of having their basic needs met.
One of our bra recipients, Garnetta, said it best: “When you make a person feel like they’re worth something, they might feel as though they’re worth something themselves.”
What do you wish more people understood about the importance of “basics” such as bras, underwear, and menstrual products?
Women’s basic needs are often an afterthought in emergencies, but bras and menstrual products are just as important as food, water, shelter and clothing for people displaced from their homes.
There is also the issue of period poverty, which is affecting people who menstruate every single day, whether or not there is a crisis. More than 22 million Americans cannot afford to cover their most basic menstrual hygiene needs. When people can’t access period products, they miss school, work and other important opportunities to participate in their communities. In some cases, they try to use less hygienic, dangerous alternatives, like old socks and ripped-up cardboard.
ISTG created three types of mail-delivered Aid, Safety, Hygiene Kits (A.S.H. Kits) for those fleeing domestic violence, going through menopause, or looking for gender-affirming products. What was the thought process behind creating these specifically tailored kits?
When COVID-19 shut down the world, the social services agencies we support also faced disruptions. Many people could no longer gain access to items and services they desperately needed. The sudden loss of income, illness, and soaring eviction rates meant ISTG had to do more – and do it differently. We developed a series of programs to meet individuals where they are (literally). A.S.H. kits are delivered directly by mail and designed to support those who often get left behind or cannot safely access other types of services.
Period poverty is a wide-spread and long standing phenomena; the World Bank reports that up to 500 million people internationally lack access to both menstrual products and hygienic restrooms to use while menstruating. Why do you think that this issue that is so prevalent is also so under-reported?
Menstruation is still a taboo topic in most parts of the world. We are either discouraged from talking about periods or they are perceived as disgusting and shameful. When we are unwilling to discuss this basic bodily function – one that none of us would be here without – people who menstruate do not get the education they need to take care of themselves. Let’s not forget, menstruation is a natural bodily process that affects nearly half of the population. Enough is enough.
How can people get involved with ISTG?
There are several ways people can get involved with us. If they have gently used bras and unopened menstrual products, they can mail them to our Maryland headquarters or drop them off at one of our 53 affiliates. Individuals and companies can also host their own collection drives and events. Lastly, financial donations and volunteers are always welcome – and needed. In fact, most of our funding comes from individuals! You can learn more about different ways to support ISTG on our website.
You’ve spoken before about breaking down taboos and stereotypes around menstrual products, homelessness, disabilities, and more. What advice do you have for those who are looking to internally dismantle prejudices or preconceived notions?
Some people feel like anything they do on an individual level may not make a difference. I am proof that this is not true! I turned a moment of inspiration – a single donation in my local community – into a global menstrual equity and women’s health movement. Had I been too embarrassed to make a Facebook post about bras, tampons and pads or worried about making some people in my feed uncomfortable, ISTG would never have come to be. Women, girls and others who menstruate wouldn’t have received the more than 24 million products ISTG has distributed to help them meet their basic needs.
What part of the work you do brings you the most joy?
I am one person and I cannot make the enormous impact ISTG makes alone. The people who have joined me on this mission – my staff, the volunteers and the super generous donors and corporate sponsors – are a constant reminder that our work is important. My greatest joy, though, is hearing directly from the people whose lives are being changed through our work. A new bra or a pack of pads restores a person’s dignity, even if temporarily, and shows them they matter.
What does being a feminist mean to you?
Equality. Plain and simple equal rights for all.
ISTG is not only putting products in the hands of people who need them, we are tackling an underlying cause of inequity around the world. We simply cannot have gender equity in any society if we do not address the role period poverty plays in holding women back. This is not a woman’s problem to solve. When we are left out, everyone suffers.
When I see that through our work we are changing hearts and minds – on both a macro and micro level – that’s what being a feminist means to me.