The Need is Real
Food and hygiene are not luxuries — they are essentials for life. In Colorado, over 1,000 organizations work tirelessly to support individuals and families in need. Yet, hygiene poverty remains an often-overlooked crisis, affecting work, education, social connections, and emotional well-being. The rising prevalence of hygiene poverty in Colorado underscores the urgent need for collaboration and action. Justice Necessary was founded to fill a critical gap — not only by helping individuals directly but by empowering and amplifying the efforts of the organizations on the front lines.
Data Drives the Way
Justice Necessary commissions annual studies to better understand the extent of the issues we work to address every day: period poverty, diaper need, and the struggle of Coloradans to afford hygiene basics.
Just as period poverty, hygiene poverty, and diaper need are shown by these results to be widespread; their mental, emotional, and physical health impacts turn out to be broadly distributed and deeply felt. Numerous respondents discuss feelings of shame and anger, missing work or school, and not knowing where to turn.
Our Commitment to Helping Statewide
Social stigma and other forces often keep period poverty, diaper need, and hygiene poverty hidden from public view. By investing in data, we get an undeniable picture of this crisis and the pernicious impact it has in communities across Colorado. Justice Necessary has striven to get quality data that, whenever possible, reflects the demographics of the communities we assist in every county across the state.
Key Highlights From Studies
In 2022, Justice Necessary commissioned the Colorado 2022 Study on Women’s Period Poverty, Diaper Need, and Hygiene Poverty to better understand the struggles Coloradans face in affording basic hygiene essentials. We surveyed over 1,256 women across Colorado and found:
of women currently menstruating report experiencing period poverty.
of parents with children in diapers struggle with diaper need
of women with children struggled to purchase basic hygiene products in the last 12 months.
We repeated the study in 2024, revealing the increasing needs of our neighbors:
of women who menstruate reported period poverty, a 13% increase over the past two years.
of women with children in diapers faced diaper need, an increase of nearly 19%.
of women with children struggled to afford basic hygiene products, showing a 10% rise in hygiene poverty.
These findings show that hygiene poverty affects all age groups, not just adults. Our Colorado 2024 Study on Teen Period Poverty further highlighted this reality:
of female teens have missed class due to a lack of period products.
recall a time at school or during school-related activities when they did not have access to period products.
recall a time at school or during school-related activities when they did not have access to period products.
The personal, physical, and emotional tolls of hygiene poverty reveal one undeniable truth: access to hygiene is essential for dignity, well-being, and full participation in work, school, and all aspects of life. Our Colorado 2024 Study on Hygiene Poverty revealed:
of Coloradans experience hygiene poverty, struggling to afford essential hygiene products.
of Coloradans have had to prioritize buying food over hygiene products in the past year, with many substituting proper hygiene products to meet their needs.
Nearly half of Coloradans have faced hygiene poverty in the past year, with over one-third—36%—struggling with both food and hygiene poverty.
Our work centers on one crucial question: Does it truly benefit Colorado communities? We prioritize consistent support, raise awareness, provide education, and advocate to ensure that all Coloradans have access to basic hygiene products. Because dignity starts with having the basics.
