Yahoo Finance 1 in 5 Aussie women going without shampoo and toothpaste in cost-of-living crisis
An alarming number of women are also worried about how they'll afford to buy Christmas presents this year.
As the crippling cost-of-living crisis continues, vulnerable Australian women are going without basic essentials like shampoo, body wash, toothpaste and deodorant.
Charity Share The Dignity found 18 per cent of 3,648 women surveyed — almost one in five — were unable to afford toiletry items many of us take for granted, while 39 per cent said they worried about being able to pay for Christmas presents.
The charity's annual It's In The Bag Christmas drive has received fewer donations than normal this year, while the need for the small bags packed with toiletries or little luxury items for women and children doing it tough has jumped, and time is running out.
"We've had over 180,000 requests this year and we've so far only collected 40,000 bags," the charity’s founder, Rochelle Courtenay, told Yahoo Finance.
"The drive has been going for 10 days and we wrap up on Sunday. If we can get 100,000 Aussies to donate just one bag, it will help to reach our goal."
Courtenay said requests had increased by 30 per cent this year while donations were down by the same amount when compared to pre-Covid days.
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"Before Covid, we would collect 140,000 bags on average," she explained.
Courtenay started It's In The Bag after cleaning out her bathroom of unopened and unused toiletries and perfumes - which she'd received as presents in her role as a netball coach - and placing them in a handbag.
"I thought, 'That's a great idea', and I dropped them off at some local charities and they were overwhelmed," she said. "Mums don't generally get Christmas presents, yet there's always an oversupply of kids' presents."
In Australia, an estimated 2.7 million women had experienced family or domestic violence and 53,974 women were homeless in 2021, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Share The Dignity works with 3,500 charities, refuges, shelters, and community services that help women and families fleeing domestic violence, many who are going through trauma, poverty, or financial struggles.
Kim Hamson is one of those women and knows first-hand the impact of an It's In The Bag donation, having received one after she and her daughter left an abusive relationship with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
"When fleeing domestic violence, by the time you've fled, you're on rock bottom, you have no self-worth, you have no hope, you have no faith, you have nothing. Your soul is gone" she told Yahoo Finance.
"So, for a bag to arrive on Christmas, when it’s the only gift you might get, it's life-changing. To this day, I still use the same brand of shampoo that was in the bag. The smell makes me feel safe, reminds me how lucky I was that day to receive the bag, and reminds me that there is hope."
Courtenay told Yahoo Finance: "We're not going to solve domestic violence or homelessness, but one person, one act of kindness, can make such a massive difference to someone else's life."
It's In The Bag accepts new, unused and unopened items including shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, roll-on deodorant, perfume, period products, lip balm, socks — even handwritten notes.
Bags filled with toiletry essentials or little luxuries for mums, teen girls (tagged with a yellow ribbon) or mums and bubs (tagged with a purple ribbon) can be dropped off at any Bunnings store nationwide until Sunday, November 26.
You can also sponsor a bag online or register to become a Share The Dignity volunteer.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency always call Triple 0.
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