Pristine’s emergency kit offers resource for women against disasters

Japan is notably vulnerable to natural disasters due to its climate and volatile geography. September 1 is designated annually as Disaster Prevention Day. Many disaster prevention training exercises take place nationwide during the week around this day.

To raise awareness about women’s needs in disaster situations, an organic cotton fashion brand Pristine launched an emergency kit featuring various feminine hygiene items. Pristine is a brand that supports organic cotton production in Fukushima, and values sustainability and user comfort.

Women more vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters

Pristine points out that the impact of natural disasters can cause disproportionate physical and mental risks to women partly due to the sudden changes in circumstances in disaster shelters.

This was particularly the case in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, when many evacuees had to spend month after month in temporary shelters and housing. It proved especially stressful to those who were going through menstrual cycles, pregnancy and lactation. The reduced access to hygiene, health services and privacy put them under extra pressure.

Offering comfort in times of emergency

To alleviate their stress and accommodate their different needs, Pristine has designed an emergency kit, featuring ten cotton-based items that can serve numerous purposes.

The items available in the kit are as follows:

• Cotton panties
• Hand and face towels
• Thick socks
• A haramaki tube top, which comes with a long torso to keep the wearer’s abdominal area warm. When you remove the bra cups, this top can be used as a neck warmer.
• 10 pieces of non-woven cloths that can be used to make face masks using the elastic bands that come in the kit. They can also be folded to use as a pantie liner or sanitary napkin.
• 4.7-meter bleached cotton cloth, which can be easily torn to be used as a towel, baby sling, diaper, foot cover, and more without needing any sewing.
• A furoshiki wrapping cloth, the outer packaging of this kit, which can be used in a number of versatile ways such as for a breastfeeding cover, head wrap, sleeping eye mask, or blanket.

In addition to the products stated above, the kit comes with more detailed instructions for each item, which gives you an idea of what kind of needs may arise in the time of emergency. Moreover, these items are all made with organic cotton, which feels good on your skin even if you aren’t suffering from allergies or chemical sensitivities.

Staying as prepared as possible for an emergency is always helpful in avoiding disastrous situations and saving lives. Pristine’s emergency package gives us an opportunity to think about what will come in handy to protect ourselves and our family from unforeseen events.