What is period poverty?
Period poverty is a term used to express the struggles people who menstruate face when they are low-income. They cannot afford essential sanitary products. Period poverty also seeks to describe how those in need of menstrual supplies are economically vulnerable due to the high cost of essential goods. UNICEF has declared this a fundamental issue of human rights, dignity, and public health. More than 800 million people menstruate daily, yet more than 2.3 billion people do not have access to clean menstrual hygiene, even though it is a natural body process.
Current State of Periods
2018 was the first year in which federal prisons made free period products mandatory for
prisoners. Many US states and city councils have passed laws mandating schools to provide
period products to students under the proclamation that they are as essential as toilet paper. In 2019, activists around the US pressured officials in the Department of Education to end the tax on period products via petitions and marches. Organizers encouraged the government to treat menstrual products as basic public health, funding products in bathrooms.
The Stigma Around Menstruation
People who menstruate are frequently branded as “unclean” or “dirty” on their period. Many cultures forbid menstruating people from entering places of worship due to perceived lack of sanitation. Talking about periods openly is seen as taboo, which is why people will use euphemisms like “Shark Week” to describe periods. One of the more silly beliefs is that using a tampon will “take away” your virginity, which supplies more misinformation regarding menstrual hygiene. There is an urgent need to normalize periods.
Solutions to Period Poverty
Though period poverty is widespread, it can be prevented by significant societal change. We
need to change the way we talk about periods -- normalize them as body processes the vast
majority of people with a uterus go through. Spread the correct information about menstrual
hygiene products. Workplace and school policies need to operate in a way that everyone who needs it has access to period supplies. All taxes on menstrual products additionally need to end, as they make basic hygiene inaccessible for the working class.
What You Can Do to Help
1. Buy your products from brands that give back to charities working to alleviate period
poverty. Always and Pink Parcel have such initiatives already.
2. Get involved with local feminist activism and host marches to show support for the
cause.
3. Donate period products to local food banks and homeless shelters, as they cannot afford
products.
4. Sign petitions to pressure government officials to take action and pass bills to help out
with menstrual hygiene.
5. Educate yourself and spread awareness, whether you’re someone who faces periods or
not. There’s too much misinformation out there.
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