In late November of 2020, Scotland became the first country in the world to announce that it would provide free period products for all women. The campaign was celebrated and shared worldwide, and not just by women and feminists! Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number of women are affected by so-called ‘period poverty’, a situation that makes it impossible for economically weak and disadvantaged women to pay for their own monthly hygiene products. 

As part of our monthly theme of ‘Giving Back’ in the otherwise shiny, gift-laden, and opulent month of December, we want to draw attention to our ‘local heroines’. Citizens who care about others, who share with others, and who work every day to make the marginalized members of society feel a little better, especially in these difficult times. 

The women behind Neighborhood Feminists, from left to right:
Anneloes Dijkman, Tammy Pham Sheldon & Camila Montecinos Díaz

Support quickly, easily, and locally

Anneloes, Camila, and Tammy didn’t choose the name Neighborhood Feminists for nothing: they want to be there for the neighborhood people, making activism and volunteering accessible, local, and simple - for everyone! That is what drives them, it's their motivation. 

All three women themselves started very small and simple, in their living room in fact, just over a year ago. After meeting repeatedly at various activist events in the city, they decided at some point to start their own volunteer aid organisation. 

“It’s actually quite simple,” says Camila, “just go around the city with your eyes open, do a little desk research and you’ll quickly come across local deficiencies and a lack of helping hands.” 

You don’t always need an insane number of resources, means, or advance plans to make a difference and help people in need. “You can start small and easy, right now, right here,” she adds. This is the strong belief and push for action of Neighborhood Feminists.

Illustrations by Anneloes Dijkman

Fight for local change

The idea was to be quick to implement, to tackle local problems, and not need a lot of resources to set up. After some initial research about necessary help in the neighbourhood, it was clear: the women of the city need sufficient access to period products - yes, even in Amsterdam! 

With finances pooled in together from friends, families, and their own investments, the three started to put together the first ‘Dignity Kits’ for women’s shelters throughout the city. In them included menstrual pads, tampons, and other necessary hygienic products. 

Illustration by Anneloes Dijkman

“We can all contribute to living in liveable and healthy cities by recognising our responsibility to understand how we all work together in a city, neighbourhood, or community and acting as committed, self-driven citizens,” Tammy explains. 

And it doesn’t take much to give back to your community as “it's all about seeing what’s really needed and then just getting started. Just do it!” the two emphasise in our interview, over and over again.

This might not be so obvious in cities like Amsterdam, where problems and shortcomings in society are not as publicly presented as in Chile, Camila’s country of origin for example. Nevertheless, there is still enough to do here, and a helping hand can be needed anytime,  anywhere.

Respond creatively to the pandemic

COVID-19 has also hit their organisation hard. Not only did planned events and meetings for women from the neighbourhood had to be cancelled, the first introduction for volunteers was now held online. Women’s shelters previously supplied by the three had to also close due to hygiene and health measures, despite the fact that during this time the demand for products has increased rather than decreased. 

However, the Neighborhood Feminists are not letting this get them down, Tammy laughs and tells me that the time was actually quite helpful for them. She says that they were finally able to take a look at their own strategy and to have talks with other (aid) organisations to find out how things should go on after the pandemic. They see the following economic crisis after Corona as the biggest challenge for their organisation and want to be well prepared for it with targeted planning and preparatory work. 

To not lose hope, even in these difficult times, but rather strengthening  it, is the key: “Hope is fundamental for human beings, it must be communicated and remembered again and again.” Hope is also what will get us through this crisis, they think, hope and above all, solidarity. Not only towards family, friends, or the neighbour around the corner, but also between organisations. 

That is why the Neighborhood Feminists are currently offering their localities in Amsterdam to another aid organisation which can urgently need them. Improving the dialogue between organisations and their actions is another big aim of the three women, which they have been working on a lot lately. “One day, we want to have one big family with shared interests,” they recall with cheer. 

Be your neighborhood’s heroine

Are you curious and, above all, motivated and full of enthusiasm, and would you like to get involved and help the weaker members of society? Here’s how you can help immediately and from anywhere:

• Sign up for the newsletter of the Neighbourhood Feminists

• Follow them on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated

• Raise awareness by sharing their stories with your friends and family

• Donate money

• Donate products

• Donate time 

• Be part of the organization as a volunteer! For that, just write a short mail to hello@neighborhoodfeminists.com, introduce yourself, and how you want to be engaged. Let’s have a talk and discuss how you can help 

• And most importantly: don’t wait for the perfect moment, just do it right now, right here!

What you can do in general: 

• Make a decision about your financial standing

• Think about yourself and your own personality → what kind of work would suit you best? 

• Do your research and find a (local) organization that supports your own values and interests

• Find like-minded people of interest, passion, and value but necessarily of background, training, etc. → can create a synergy that is greater than its single parts

• Commit to an organization who to your mind has thought things through and is in the line with your own beliefs

• Examine how entrepreneurial you want to be → can be simple and small in your neighbourhood, f.e. make sure all the old people in your street are provided with food and regular check-ups to see how they are doing

• There’s a place for everyone’s heart & brain → “We are the captains of our own ships”

Thank you, Camila and Tammy (Anneloes couldn’t be with us on this day), for the great interview with lots of inspiration and motivation for our local community! If you like what you've read, you can check out our diverse content from the A City Made By People network on our website and social media. Have fun browsing! 

Words by Paulina Fried
All images to the courtesy of Neighborhood Feminists