P'ink' it, 2022, First Runner up

How does period poverty endanger women's right to dignity? What can be done to improve access to menstrual products?

- By Soumendra Das, First Runner up of P'ink' it, 2022

Period poverty is a global problem that transcends geographic boundaries. It is characterized as a lack of knowledge, sanitary facilities, waste treatment, or a combination of these things. Women who experience period poverty struggle to pay for the necessary menstruation supplies, which frequently keeps them from going to class, working, or otherwise engaging in daily life. Menstrual equality has been hampered significantly by poor access to period items and hygiene education. For the majority of women, menstruation is now not only an expensive hassle but also a health concern. Physical, mental, and emotional challenges are brought on by poverty. Menstruation may cause people to feel embarrassed of themselves, and the taboo surrounding periods makes talking about it difficult. Even though healthier but perhaps more expensive menstrual products are available, the vast majority of people in rural India continue to use hazardous substances like rags, hay, sand, and ash as menstruation alternatives. They are therefore more susceptible to illnesses like UTIs. In India, just 12% of women who menstruate have access to sanitary products, according to the International Children's Emergency Fund of the United Nations (UNICEF).

Periodic poverty, however, involves more than just money problems. Due to societal stigma, religious stigma, or superstitious beliefs around menstruation, many women and girls lack access to hygiene amenities or find it difficult to handle their periods with dignity. In many countries, especially in the poor world, periods are rarely covered in the classroom. When women learn about menstruation, it's usually via female friends or family members who aren't ashamed to talk about it. Sadly, this information could be polluted by superstition and founded on flimsy scientific data. Many young ladies don't know what's happening to them and think that their bodies are hurting themselves once a month or purging evil entities. In certain Hindu communities, menstruating women are sent to animal shelters because it is believed that they would bring bad luck and natural disasters. Despite the fact the government has declared the practise illegal, it is still carried out in Nepal's most rural areas.

Menstrual health issues affect both sexes equally. Only 27% of people in developing nations have adequate handwashing facilities at home, and 2.3 billion people globally do not have access to basic sanitation services. When they are unable to use these facilities, women and young girls find it more challenging to handle their periods safely and that with dignity. The facilities and supplies required for efficient menstrual hygiene are disproportionately denied to girls with special needs and impairments. When they live in conflict-affected areas in the aftermath of natural disasters, women and girls find it harder to manage during the time of their periods.

There is a stigma associated with period poverty. Even though menstruation is stigmatized, period poverty is a worldwide public health concern that is rarely addressed. Menstruation is viewed as dirty and must be avoided in many cultures. The importance of menstruation as a healthy, natural process is emphasised by activists. People shy away from talking about their periods due to the stigma attached to them. Menstrual products, their taxes, and even the ingredients they contain receive little attention as a result. Menstruation is another aspect of being trans that is stigmatised. Menstruation is not just a feminine experience as many websites still suggest. Many people who aren't women experience menstruation, yet not all women do.

How, therefore, can we prevent it or at the minimum minimize it?

• Normalizing menstruation and removing the stigma attached to it are the first steps. Then laws must be put in place to guarantee that sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual supplies are easily accessible. Despite the fact that the issue has historically been a roadblock, activists are pressing governments to give menstruation equality measures primary priority.
• To better comprehend the effects of historical poverty and ways to combat it, further research is required. Protective legislation can ensure that inexpensive menstrual hygiene products and appropriate facilities are available. Governments can also make menstrual products less expensive by cutting taxes. Independent, larger non-profits, and local initiatives that promote, carry out, and give resources for menstruation health education are beneficial to many communities.
• Equal access to menstruation affects both public well-being and human rights. Racial, socioeconomic, and gender disparities are all intertwined. As the nation struggles with structural barriers to fairness, temporary poverty may be easily resolved. Women, teenage girls, and all people with periods must be capable of handling them with dignity and comfort, free from stigma and shame, in India and around the world.

References:

https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-020-01149-5

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

https://www.unfpa.org/menstruationfaq

https://yoppie.com/period-poverty

Soumendra Das,

B.Sc Economics Hons.,

St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata.