Let's talk about Period poverty

What is period poverty?

Every month, more than two billion people[1] around the world menstruate. Menstruation – or period – is a natural and healthy process, yet millions of women and girls cannot afford menstrual products or access to safe water and sanitation to manage their menstrual health and hygiene. This interrupts their lives, rights, and freedoms.

Period poverty refers to the inability to afford and access menstrual products, sanitation and hygiene facilities and education and awareness to manage menstrual health. Simply put, period poverty costs women and girls too much and it doesn’t have to be this way.

What causes period poverty?

Stigma, the high cost of menstrual products, and lack of water and sanitation facilities drive period poverty around the world.

Menstrual products are prohibitively expensive for millions of people worldwide. Gender-blind policies and tax laws – for example, the “pink tax” on feminine products – are in part to blame, but such policy decisions go together with the stigma and taboo attached to menstruation.

Additionally, more than 1.5 billion people still lack basic sanitation services, such as private toilets. Not having access to safely managed toilets keeps many girls away from school and women away from work during their period. At least 1 in 10 women and girls in rural areas across 12 countries did not have a private place to wash and change during their last period.

Period poverty is also perpetuated by stigma and the lack of information and education – not only do many girls and young women lack awareness and are unprepared for their periods, but policymakers and adults with decision-making power in schools and workplaces also lack comprehensive menstrual education.

Stigma and discrimination are heightened in communities where there are harmful social and cultural norms around period. In some parts of the world, even today, menstruating girls and women are seen as dirty or untouchable, restricting their movement and access to spaces. Pervasive myths include that menstruating women and girls should not touch certain food or it would rot, or enter places of worship, and that they should be isolated.

Who is affected by period poverty?

Period poverty is a global health issue affecting women and girls in both rich and poor countries. What women and girls can use to manage their menstrual health and hygiene varies widely, based on their income and whether they live in urban or rural areas.