Tackling period poverty in low-income countries and humanitarian crises

By Sabrina Velandia

In an article posted last June, we addressed period poverty - the inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and education, including but not limited to sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management - and its impact over menstruating people around the world.

As we explained in such article, period poverty affects at least 500 million people all over the world, and it is closely associated to discrimination, as menstruating women and girls are seen as “dirty, untouchable, or a disgrace” leading to mistreatment and denial of their basic rights and dignity.

We also highlighted how people living in low-income countries are disproportionately affected by this issue and how economic crises are a major reason causing high rates of period poverty. It is the world’s poorest women and girls that are more impacted by period poverty due to “lack of money to buy pads and tampons, access toilets or discriminatory cultural norms and practices”, as stated by UN Women.

UNFPA have said that period poverty describes the struggle many low-income women and girls face while trying to afford menstrual products, but it also refers to the increased economic vulnerability they face due the financial burden posed by menstrual supplies - these include not only menstrual pads and tampons, but also related costs such as pain medication and underwear.?

Women, girls and people who menstruate are entitled to accessing appropriate menstrual products; safe, hygienic spaces in which to use them; and the right to manage their period with dignity, without shame or stigma.

Now that we have gone through the causes and impact of period poverty, as well as its numbers, what can be done to fight period poverty?

Combatting period poverty

Global Citizen believe that the first step to stop period poverty is to “normalize menstruation and destroy taboos around the natural process. Then policy must be enforced to make menstrual products, sanitation, and hygiene easily accessible”.

According to UNFPA, period poverty is not only an economic issue, but a social and political one. As such, decision-makers at different levels must discuss and put in place measures addressing issues directly linked to period poverty, starting with taxation exempt of menstruation products.

In countries like Lebanon, Kenya, and India, these discussions have resulted in the elimination of tax on menstrual products.

In 2018,?Scotland?became the first country in the world to make menstrual hygiene products at no cost for all students.?England?followed shortly after, in 2020 - the same year Scotland expanded their legislation to make these products free to everyone needing them.

In the United States, four states - New York, California, Illinois, and New Hampshire - have implemented similar legislation. New York’s legislation is the most expansive and requires not only public schools but also city shelters, prisons and detention facilities to provide menstrual hygiene products for free.

These are excellent examples that period poverty can be addressed on a national level and will hopefully inspire other countries to do the same.?

Women In International Security consider that, although these policies should not be the only strategies used to fight period poverty, they are “critical first steps”.

Period poverty is also associated to women and girls staying at home from school and work, due to their inability to afford menstrual products. This leads to lasting consequences on their education?and economic opportunities, exacerbating their existing vulnerabilities, and pushing them to make use of dangerous coping mechanisms – e.g., transactional sex to pay for menstrual products.

Therefore, it is crucial to promote menstrual equity to support women and young girls. That is why activists and advocates are also demanding that governments prioritize menstrual equity policy, but this issue has historically presented challenging.?

Organizations like MINA Foundation are not waiting?on the government to take action. They provide young women with menstrual products to help them stay in school.?

Many other organizations worldwide are doing similar work, in different ways, within local communities, states, and countries.

In the UK, ActionAid support low-income countries by providing?training on how to make reusable sanitary pads, which are affordable and sustainable. They’ve also created ‘support?girls’ clubs’ where girls learn about their bodies, menstruation and health, building their confidence and advocating for their rights.

Moreover, ActionAid also support?‘girls’ rooms in schools’, which provide a safe, private space and access to products, helping girls manage their periods freely and without shame.?

Considering the important role food banks have for vulnerable communities, other organizations in the UK, like Period Poverty, donate pads to food banks to support women on low incomes who are struggling to afford these products. They have also promoted awareness of period poverty by trying to ‘normalise’ the conversation.

On a global level, the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund is working to?improve sanitation and hygiene?for the most vulnerable communities, supporting countries to increase “inclusive and sustainable access” to improved sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health and hygiene as a human right.

The UN fund works with partners to increase investment from both the public and private sector and provide expanded access to toilets and hygiene, such as handwashing and menstrual health, to everyone.

UN Women have listed, as well, what needs to be specifically done to end period poverty:

• Affordable and tax-free sustainable sanitary products
• Wider access to menstrual hygiene management and sanitation facilities
• Better workplace policies inclusive of menstruating and menopausal women
• Increased access to information and education to help break the silence, stigma and taboos surrounding menstruation

Women In International Security have also shared their recommendations to tackle period poverty, as follows:

1. If you live in a state that does not have any legislation that addresses period poverty, call your state representative and demand that they institute laws that provide schools, prisons, shelters, etc. with free menstrual hygiene products.
2. If you live in a state that still taxes menstrual hygiene products, call your state representative and demand that they work to remove this tax.
3. Talk openly about menstruation with your family and friends. The more we talk about menstruation, the easier it will be to break down misinformation and stigma around it.
4. Donate to organizations that are fighting against period poverty - in this article, we mention a few examples of great organizations that are combating this crisis.

As summarized by Hannah Neumeyer, head of human rights at menstrual hygiene education organization WASH United: “Women and girls have human rights, and they have periods. One should not defeat the other.”

Fighting period poverty in Venezuela

ActionAid affirm that, in humanitarian disasters across the world, women, girls and people who menstruate say that amongst the?items that they?need?the most are menstrual products, wipes and soap. It is not different in Venezuela.

As stated in our previous article on period poverty, in Venezuela, Alianza Con Ellas have estimated that 1 in 4 women do not have access to menstrual products at home, forcing them to miss days of school and work. This also results in them using unhygienic and improvised alternatives - including torn pieces of clothing, rags, dirty rugs. Such alternative methods?are often?ineffective, uncomfortable, and unhygienic. They can lead to?dangerous?infections as well as?blood stains, which can cause feelings of embarrassment and isolation.

Periods?don’t stop in times of crisis. During humanitarian emergencies, such as the one occurring in Venezuela, many people who menstruate?can’t manage their periods safely and with dignity.

Since the Humanitarian Complex Emergency has a differentiated impact on women and girls in Venezuela, buying menstrual products has become a luxury, as a package of pads lasting 5 days can cost $1 dollar a month, while the monthly minimum wage is around $5.

An alternative to this could be to follow ActionAid’s recommendations on providing?kits containing menstrual products, soap and clean underwear, as part of local actors’ humanitarian response, along with other essentials like food, water and?shelter.?

Local NGOs like Accion Solidaria believe it is crucial to address period poverty in Venezuela with a gender-based approach, aiming at tackling gender inequality, by creating plans, strategies, and public policies offering tangible and dignified responses to women and girls’ needs.

Furthermore, to address issues affecting women and girls in Venezuela, including period poverty, local organizations forming Alianza Con Ellas offer some recommendations as follows:

1.????The periodic publication of official figures on the crisis disaggregated by gender

2.????The prioritization in the location and allocation of funds to projects with a gender approach and to organizations working in the field

3.????Favoring comprehensive health care for women with different types of conditions, including chronic and high-cost ones

4.????Development of emergency policies for the care of women in situations of mobility with a focus on protection and rights

5.????Combating discrimination, violence and gender stereotypes

6.????Promoting capacity building for women’s economic independence, and

7.????Implementing inclusive food policies with special attention to pregnant women and children and adolescents.

As stated by Accion Solidaria, “if something is clear, it is that women are key in all functional, prosperous and well-being societies. Taking care of their needs should be a priority”.

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