A brief overview into a universal issue that affects over half the world's population (1.9 billion) yet is not nearly given enough attention to.
What exactly is period poverty?
In short, period poverty is also known as menstrual inequality. It is related to access to menstrual products and the means to hygienically manage menstruation.
It largely affects several communities around the world in particular impacts low-income communities the worst. “Globally, 12.8% of women and girls live in poverty and struggle to access resources to manage their periods”, Global Citizen.
Furthermore, financial constraints add extra challenges in allowing individuals to afford menstrual products which is the fundamental issue.
Factors causing period poverty:
Covid-19
The pandemic has exponentially strained economies and complicated income for several individuals increasing the difficulty to prioritise menstrual hygiene
Geographic access
Communities, especially rural communities, have specific difficulties such as distance or transportation that make it difficult for them to reach products associated with menstruation which are commonly found in convenience stores, pharmacies or hospitals
Tax
“Pink tax” is imposed by some US states and countries around the world such as Australia and Canada on specifically menstrual products which further increases the financial difficulties
Shocking Statistics It is estimated that 500 million people live without adequate menstrual hygiene.74% of people globally experienced the effects of period poverty in 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemicAccording to Pandia Health, the cost of lifetime for tampons for a woman would be around $1,733 USD and the cost for pads would be around $4,752 USDThe impact in specific areas:
Hong Kong
“The Zubin Foundation found that 16% of girls in Hong Kong have missed work or school because they could not afford sanitary products”.
Due to Covid-19, the situation in Hong Kong worsened due to the several job losses has caused ethnic minority communities to classify sanitary products as ‘luxury items’ which undermines the necessity for them.
Nepal
Menstruation is stigmatised in many areas around the world especially in Asian countries such as Nepal.
A menstruating woman is considered impure and shunned to outskirt regions during their cycle.
Since these huts are in rural areas, they are not equipped with running water or the necessary products/medicines required by women who are menstruating
These huts are part of the community’s local culture due to the misbeliefs surrounding menstruation rooted amongst them
What is the effect?
It increases the risk of infections and other medical complications especially accompanied by other medical conditions.
With difficulty accessing menstrual products alongside pain relief medicine oftentimes menstruators may need to miss school or work which means reduced income. This exacerbates the financial strain and creates an additional issue with impacting the gender gap in relation to income and educational opportunities.
What can we do?
Donate menstrual products
Support organisations and charities that work to raise awareness regarding period poverty either financially or by sharing their posts and accounts e.g Days for Girls (daysforgirls.org) and The Pad Project (https://thepadproject.org/)
Talk about the issue - even though half the world experiences menstruation and it is a natural process, in many cultures it is still very taboo. Destigmatizing menstruation can help others understand by sharing knowledge
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