INTRODUCTION
How widely and accurately does this term period poverty get known? How many individuals know about and comprehend this problem? The social, cultural, economic, and political obstacles to menstruation products, cleanliness, and education are referred to as period poverty. Despite being a common issue, period poverty has not received enough attention through literature. Before moving on to period poverty, menstruation should be briefly discussed. When a woman reaches reproductive age, she goes through the monthly vaginal blood loss known as menstruation, a natural biological process. It mostly lasts around 28 days. Menarche marks the beginning of menstruation, which lasts until the end of fertility and is referred to as menopause. Menstrual health is determined by effective control of the menstrual cycle. It is well-known that individuals need reliable and suitable knowledge about menstruation, good hygiene habits, the capacity to care for oneself during the period, the ability to recognize menstrual cycle disorders, access to healthcare, the ability to engage in life activities, including attending work and school, and a supportive and encouraging environment for making decisions. The blog’s research seeks to improve the wealth of information already available on the subject. Some of the subjects covered in this blog include understanding period poverty, common misconceptions about it, its stigma and taboos, how it impacts women’s lives, and what can be done to eliminate the stigma associated with it.
Since many individuals have begun to lose their employment and experience financial difficulties as a “result of the prolonged quarantine and the closure of several enterprises, poverty has become a major public health problem during the COVID-19 epidemic.”[1] As essentials like food, lighting, and warmth had to be prioritized during the epidemic, it has placed a heavy strain on women, particularly in low-income groups. As a result, many women were forced to use or wear things longer than they would do. Women thus lack the resources needed to properly control their menstrual cycles, which has an “unfavorable effect on their health”.[2] Menstrual products were not considered necessities when they had to manage their finances and spend money exclusively on essential requirements rather than the pad included in their list of necessities. When it came to using sanitary pads during their periods, women had to find alternative methods. Here, the issue at hand is whether or not menstruation items qualify as necessities. Or is it not included in the list at all? It makes sense that some individuals wouldn’t view menstrual products as a necessity in life given that menstruation, or the period itself, includes just one gender. But since both males and females coexist in society surrounding each other, and mothers are a part of almost every family—it’s critical to adopt the belief that menstruation products are necessary.
TABOOS AND STIGMA ABOUT PERIOD POVERTY
The problem of period poverty is stigmatized. Because menstruation is linked to shame, it is a public health challenge worldwide that is disregarded. Apart from this, there is shame associated with the menstrual experience for transgender people.
Menstruation is not exclusive to women, despite what the general public believes. This is mentioned several times. Not every woman has menstruation, and many who are not women do as well. Realizing that everyone who menstruates experiences period poverty requires being mindful of the appropriate vocabulary to use when talking about it.
Meals that are cold and sour are considered inappropriate for girls and women who are menstruation in many traditions. However, there are no restrictions by medical advice on what to eat and what not to, and adhering to such dietary recommendations might endanger children by lowering their intake of specific nutrients.
In many cultures, a girl is joyfully celebrated on her menarche, which is generally interpreted as a sign that she is ready for marriage, sexual activity, and childbirth. Girls are consequently more vulnerable to a wide range of mistreatment, including child marriage, coercion or sexual assault, unplanned pregnancy, and other types of abuse. Menstruation is not a marker of emotional, psychological, mental, or physical maturity in women; rather, it is one indicator of biological fertility.
Some cultures view menstruation as a dirty and horrible thing, requiring the sufferer to live and sleep apart from their family members during their periods to maintain social isolation. Also, using tampons results in women losing their virginity and handling food while menstruation ruins it. In contemporary society, this taboo still exists in places like Nepal.[3] When girls are experiencing difficulties getting menstruation items, they find it awkward to question others about them. They opt to conceal their menstruation by requesting unplanned leave or skipping work and school.
EFFECTS OF PERIOD POVERTY
- Mental wellness and health
People who use the wrong menstrual products and are unable to manage their period may feel uncomfortable, agitated, and frustrated. Lack of access to these commodities has been linked to detrimental effects on mental health, according to research.[4] However, it is difficult to draw the conclusion that period poverty causes depression directly, even though those without access to menstruation supplies may have greater rates of sadness due to low income or economic disparity among the population.
- Cleanliness and well-being
People who lack access to menstruation supplies reportedly use children’s diapers, toilet paper, and rags. Sometimes, women use the already used products. Urogenital infections, or infections of the urine and genital systems, are linked to the use of these alternative products. Among these conditions are bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infections.[5] Excessive use of a product can potentially be harmful. The risk of toxic shock syndrome, an uncommon but deadly condition, may increase with prolonged use of a tampon, sanitary napkin, or any other feminine hygiene product. Because they could not afford to purchase sanitary goods, women preferred to select pregnancy over menstruation which furthers a considerable risk of difficulties for the mother following birth.
- Work and Education
Menstruating individuals may find it difficult to enjoy their time at college or school if they experience discomfort, become distracted, or find it difficult to contribute because of odor and leaking. Absence from school impacts a person’s sense of control, self-worth, future earning potential, and health. People living in periods of poverty may find it difficult to enter the workforce, which might have a big financial impact on them and their families. Many countries continue to struggle to provide a safe atmosphere in which women manage their menstruation products safely and dignifiedly. The health of the females is thus directly impacted by the fact that not all businesses or schools have clean restrooms and water.
WAY FORWARD
- Legislation
Menstrual hygiene goods and appropriate facilities can be made reasonably accessible with the help of protective laws. Governments may also reduce taxes on menstrual products to bring down their price. Menstrual products shouldn’t be taxed, in the same way that food, which is a need for everyone, isn’t. Menstrual cups and trousers are two reusable products that can help cut down on the amount of waste generated by individually wrapped pads and tampons. If these are advertised, well-known, and reasonably priced, more women could decide to utilize them.
- Increased education and knowledge sharing
By exchanging knowledge, communities, schools, and organizations may give information without stigma and engage menstruators in the debate. Menstrual health information should be communicated using media. Since this concerns both women and human rights, everyone needs to be aware of it. Regularizing talks about menstruation and enabling women to discuss it and get assistance when they do would also help to reduce the stigma and taboos around period poverty.[6] Since this concerns both women and human rights, everyone needs to be aware of it. Regularizing talks about menstruation and enabling women to discuss it and get assistance when they do would also help to reduce the stigma and taboos around period poverty. Healthcare professionals should also be more aware of this issue as it affects how they handle women who have menstruation issues and how much confidence women have in them.
CONCLUSION
Period poverty is a problem that increases by rooted cultural attitudes and rituals in addition to being an economic one. This is not a matter of privilege or sexism; rather, it is an issue of human rights. Women are entitled to use safe menstrual products when they menstruate every month. They are entitled to amenities like clean water supplies, as well as a private, safe area to control their menstrual cycle. Women will continue to face discrimination as long as there is a belief that menstruation goods are insignificant. To summarise, addressing period poverty requires more than just supplying goods; it also requires ensuring that everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, gets the resources and assistance they require to properly manage their menstrual health. As we move forward, we will work to create a safe world for women. We can work together to break free from the monthly cycle and create a world where period poverty is no longer a reality.
Author(s) Name: Sonakshi Sharma (SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Navi Mumbai)
References:
[1] ‘Menstruation and Human rights – frequently asked questions’ (UN Population fund, no date) <https://www.unfpa.org/menstruationfaq> accessed 10 June 2024
[2] Boyers, M. et al., ‘Period poverty: The perceptions and experiences of impoverished women living in an inner-city area of Northwest England’(2022) 17(7) PLOS ONE
< https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0269341> accessed on 10 June 2024
[3] Sharma, A., McCall-Hosenfold, J.S., and Cuffee, Y., ‘Systematic review of Menstrual health and hygiene in Nepal employing a socio-ecological model, Reproductive health’ (2022)
< https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9245245/> accessed on 12 June 2024
[4] ‘What is period poverty?’ (Medical news today, no date) < https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/period-poverty#how-it-affects-people> accessed on 12 June 2024
[5] Das, P. et al., ‘Menstrual hygiene practices, wash access and the risk of urogenital infection in women from Odisha, India’ (2015) 10(6) PLOS ONE < https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0130777> accessed on 10 June 2024
[6] Sommer, M. et al., ‘Menstrual Hygiene Management in humanitarian emergencies: Gaps and recommendations’ (2015), pp 63-82, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Humanitarian Contexts <https://www.humanitarianlibrary.org/sites/default/files/2020/04/3.%20WASH%20in%20Humanitarian%20Contexts%20-%20Reflections%20on%20Current%20Practice.pdf> accessed on 12 June 2024
