What is period poverty?
Every month, menstruators need period products such as tampons, menstrual cups or pads, and medicines to safely and hygienically go through their menstrual cycle. Period poverty is not having the money to buy these products. For a menstruator going through their periods, it would mean lacking the products for menstruation while going through severe pain and multiple cramps. These products cost around 10 dollars and have to be purchased on every menstrual cycle. Menstruators go through approximately 450 periods in their lifetime, hence needing 4500 dollars to go through every period safely. The poverty line indicates 10% people live by earning just 57 dollars every month and it would not be feasible to spend 10 dollars on menstrual hygiene for them. Every day, 800 million menstruators go through periods and according to the data, 80 million menstruators have to go through a dangerous and unsafe cycle.
Effects of period poverty
Not only does period poverty have lasting consequences on a menstruator’s education and economic opportunities, but also it can push them towards dangerous coping mechanisms. Kenyan studies show little school girls engaging in transactional sex to pay for menstrual products. More than just an economic issue, period poverty is also becoming a social and political one. India is a country where advocates’ calls for menstrual products to be exempt from taxation have resulted in the elimination of tax on sanitary pads and tampons.
How can we solve this?
Even today, viewed as a taboo topic, women’s reproductive health remains one of the important issues we face today. Eradication of period poverty may seem as a farfetched reality, but can be solved with time via change on every level. Key areas to focus on include education and access throughout the world. 45% of the people across the globe do not have a passable knowledge of their human rights and thus educating rural areas about reproductive health, menstrual hygiene and human rights is an imperative first step. Eradicating the social stigma around menstruation being seen as a shameful experience will empower women and instil in them a sense of bodily pride. Places throughout the world need to be encouraged to implement necessary sanitary facilities such as hand washing and disposal systems. Organisations work day in and day out to raise funds to provide period products to those who cannot afford them, but without the knowledge, this will be a waste as today, very few people address period poverty as a real issue. Countrywide events to raise awareness are crucial to eradicating this pressing matter and then providing those affected by period poverty with the necessary products.
- Vinamra Agarwal
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