Period Poverty

What is Period Poverty?

Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, hand washing facilities, and, or, waste management.

Who is affected by Period Poverty?

Menstrual health is not just a women’s issue, but a human rights issue. Globally, 2.3 billion people live without basic sanitation services and in developing countries, only 27% of people have adequate hand washing facilities at home, according to UNICEF.

About 10% of girls in the UK have been unable to afford period products; 15% have struggled to afford them; and 19% have changed to a less suitable product due to cost, according to research. Not being able to use these facilities makes it harder for women and young girls to manage their periods safely and with dignity.

In Kenya, 65% of the female population in Kenya do not have enough money to buy menstrual products. Even though its government is supplying sanitary ware, they have not always proved effective because of their limited supply. Schools also have a limited supply of sanitary products. Girls have even been reported to indulge in sex so that they could have money to afford sanitary pads.

In India, there is high taxation (12% GST) on sanitary products, which are essential items needed to manage one’s menstruation effectively. Vulnerable women unable to afford these products use ash, soil, leaves, rags, etc more commonly, which contribute to the development of urogenital infections in females. “Nearly 60,000 cases of cervical cancer deaths are reported every year from India, two-third of which are due to poor menstrual hygiene.”

What are the causes?

The stigma surrounding periods proves to be the main cause of the problem. Other than this the “pink tax (i.e a tax on women’s products, which contributes to gender discrimination),” make menstruation products unaffordable for many poor people, both as a luxury product and as a necessity.

What are the consequences?

Missing days of school affecting the education females receive around the world. Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, some girls will miss as much as 20% of their school year; some may drop out of school altogether. In Nepal, females are made to live in huts, this affects their access to education greatly as they are often unable to go to school. In Pakistan, many females are reported to drop out of school upon hitting puberty due to period poverty.

Due to dropping out of school, more females are in a disadvantaged position, especially in countries like Pakistan where they are forced to marry early. This can lead to earlier pregnancies, causing pregnancy complications, greater health risks and infections such as UTI (Urinary Tract Infections).

Possible Courses of Action:

Firstly, the normalization of menstruation. This can be done by socially accepting it and encouraging females during their periods, to discuss their problems. Furthermore, this can be done by general public service announcements.

Menstrual products should be made easily accessible, especially in impoverished areas. Countries like Scotland have made menstrual products free, hence proving that it is not an impossible task.

At present tampons, pads and some reusable products are funded in schools, colleges and universities in Scotland. The Scottish government provided £5.2m funding to support this, with £0.5m being awarded to the charity FareShare to deliver free period products to low-income households.

A scheme similar to condom distribution can be followed in many countries. In impoverished areas where individuals cannot afford to buy hygiene products, there should be general training on how to make reusable pads. Sex education should be introduced in the curriculum.

Bibliography

Diamond, Claire. “Period Poverty: Scotland First in World to Make Period Products Free.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com, November 24, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-51629880.

Higgins, Abigail. “Having a Period Is Unaffordable in Kenya, Yet No One Wants to Talk about It.” The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com, January 5, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/jan/05/having-a-period-is-unaffordable-in-kenya-yet-no-one-wants-to-talk-about-it.

“Period Poverty,” Action Aid. February 24, 2021. https://www.actionaid.org.uk/our-work/womens-rights/period-poverty.

“Period Poverty: New Zealand Schools to Offer Free Sanitary Products.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com, February 18, 2021. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56107816.

Sanchez, Erica, and Leah Rodriguez. “Period Poverty: Everything You Need to Know.” Global Citizen. https://www.globalcitizen.org, February 5, 2019.

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/period-poverty-everything-you-need-to-know/.

“Why India Must Battle the Shame of Period Stain.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com, May 28, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52830427.27