Period Poverty

By Audrey Hwang

For some people, being on your period means you have the sudden urge to ride a horse…. but only in ads. In real life, the struggle of being on your period is waking up in pain and heating up packs to ease the pain. But even that is a luxury.

In countries across the globe, from places to Ethiopia to even the United States, women face period poverty. Period poverty is the inability to afford and access menstrual products. It’s not just pads and tampons, they also lack clean spaces and the correct education needed to safely manage their health. 

In the world, 500 million people lack access to menstrual products and hygiene facilities. When they can't access the materials they need, it's not just bleeding out that's happening to them. Women and teen girls miss work and skip school because the pain is too much to deal with. Some use tissues or rags to act as pads because they can't afford the real thing.

Sometime in the last decade, pads and tampons have become a luxury item and not an accessible good.

But not all hope is lost. Action is already being taken in places all over the world. Schools are already starting to offer free period products to their students, with 27 states passing legislation to instate those rules. In workplaces, it's becoming more and more common to see free menstrual goods being offered in bathrooms for their employees to use when needed.

The need for this change is more urgent than ever. For girls, their period marks the transition into womanhood. But in countries across the world, their period opens the door to sex trafficking, child marriages and teen pregnancies. The stigma surrounding periods challenges the changes needed to fix the problems we face. No one should have to miss out on life just because they can't afford necessities for something that they can't stop. There are a couple things we can do. Donating products to local shelters or food banks allow for them to help those who are less unfortunate. Raising awareness or signing petitions can also help with the movement to finally make pads and tampons free for all.

Here are some petitions you can sign:

https://www.change.org/p/people-around-the-world-make-feminine-products-free-and-more-accessible-in-schools

^ specifically aims to provide free feminine products in all schools

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/endperiodpoverty

^ aims to eliminate the “tampon tax” and provide schools, shelters and prisons with period products

https://www.change.org/p/menstrual-equity-for-all-act-of-2023-ending-period-poverty-in-america

^ supports the Menstrual Equity for All Act