On Feb. 18, New Zealand announced that it would begin providing free feminine hygiene and sanitary products to all students, ranging from primary to secondary schools. The new initiative will begin this June, and is an expansion of a pilot program that began last year and generated positive feedback.
“Young people should not miss out on their education because of something that is a normal part of life for half of the population,” said Prime Minister Jacinda Arden.
This is excellent news for New Zealand and is an important step in an attempt to tackle period poverty, which is a serious issue that impacts women around the globe in a variety of ways. But how much do you know about it?
What Exactly is Period Poverty?
Period poverty refers to the lack of or inadequate access to menstrual products and education about feminine hygiene. This includes not only access to products such as pads, tampons, and menstrual cups, but also access to proper facilities and the stigma of shame and silence surrounding menstruation.
In the United States, period poverty takes on a variety of different forms. There is the so-called tampon tax, which sees feminine hygiene products subjected to sales tax even when other medical and personal care products are exempt. These taxations are still in place in 33 states.
In addition, assistance programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrititon Assitance Program (formally known as food stamps) do not apply to non-food necessities such as toilet paper and feminine hygiene products. This means that women living in poverty are often forced to choose between buying feminine hygiene products and other necessities.
Individuals experiencing homelessness not only lack access to menstrual products, but also safe and sanitary facilities to use while menstruating. Shelters and facilities like food pantries can provide other necessities, but menstrual products are often overlooked or not donated.
This problem begins earlier than you might suspect. Period poverty encompasses more than the lack of access to menstrual products – it also recognizes the stimaga of shame and fear surrounding menstruation that keep people from speaking openly about the problems they face. Globally, women and girls are forced to miss school or remove themselves from their communities due to the negative stigma surrounding menstruation.
In a study commissioned by companies Thinx and PERIOD, it was found that 1 in 5 teenagers involved in the study had struggled to afford period products, and more than 4 in 5 teenagers had been forced to miss school because of a lack of access to period products, or know someone who had. This problem is more far-reaching than most people realize.
Period Poverty Impacts Millions of People
In an estimation from the 2014 Shriver Report, about 42 million American women live in poverty. This has been exacerbated by COVID-19, with unemployment levels rising and an estimated 1 in 5 women leaving the workforce since the pandemic began.
In addition, COVID-19 has seen many places like schools, campus centers, and libraries close – places many low-income people depend on for access to free menstrual products. Often, public bathrooms do not have menstrual products, or have them in a machine that requires money in exchange for a pad or tampon.
“The financial impacts of Covid-19 has put additional stress on a population already in need….during this time of need, there are many more women who have possibly been affected by period poverty or who were already lacking prior to Covid-19 and need all the support they can get.”
Dr. Jessica Shepherd
“The financial impacts of Covid-19 has put additional stress on a population already in need….during this time of need, there are many more women who have possibly been affected by period poverty or who were already lacking prior to Covid-19 and need all the support they can get,” said Dr. Jessica Shepherd in an interview with Forbes.
Sometimes, period poverty is an unexpected consequence of other actions taken. In January, Mexico City banned single-use plastics in an attempt to decrease waste buildup. However, this included plastic tampon applicators, and many women were left scrambling to find other options. Reusable menstrual products, recommended by makers of the ban, were often more expensive or not feasible.
What is Being Done to Help?
In March 2019, Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) introduced the Menstrual Equality for All Act, the first comprehensive bill of its kind put forward to address the issue of period poverty in the United States. If passed, the bill would allow states the option to use federal funding to provide students with free menstrual products. It would also provide more access to products for the homeless and incarcerated.
In terms of the tampon tax, there are several organizations dedicated to ending the tampon tax across the country. One campaign, Tax Free. Period., has set forward a deadline for Tax Day 2021 for states to put forward legislation dedicated to ending the tampon tax.
Period poverty is a difficult problem to tackle. It is entangled with issues of cultural understanding, economics, and income. This means that approaches must be taken from all angles to reach meaningful solutions. We do not just need federal and state regulation that widens access to menstrual products. We need national conversation about menstruation, and to take steps to end the stigma around discussing a biological process that affects half of the population.
If you are interested in what you can do right now to help eliminate period poverty, consider donating to homeless shelters and community centers in your area. There are also organizations and campaigns nationwide working to help people impacted by period poverty that are accepting donations and volunteers.
Period poverty is something that impacts millions of people across the globe. Steps like the one taken by New Zealand this year are meaningful signs of progress, and with any luck, will be incorporated by other countries soon.
- Period Poverty and Stigma: Combating Menstrual Inequality - April 14, 2021
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- What You Need to Know About Period Poverty - March 17, 2021