The issue of period poverty: why the failure to tackle it is a bigger problem than you think.

Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints. A survey conducted by Plan International UK reports that, by the age of 21, 1 in 10 girls have been unable to afford sanitary products, 1 in 7 have had to ask to borrow products from a friend due to affordability issues, and 1 in 10 have had to improvise sanitary wear. A uterus is not required to understand why these figures are disturbing; good menstrual hygiene and health are essential to overall well-being, and both are a fundamental part of everyday life. The stigma around menstruation means the issue is simultaneously underreported and deeply pervasive: it is estimated that over 137,000 children across the UK have missed at least one day of school due to period poverty.

‘Menstrual Health’ was recently defined in the journal of Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in relation to the menstrual cycle.” Menstrual health is directly linked to mental health, physical well-being, and financial literacy, with individuals experiencing period poverty placed at a greater risk of depression, anxiety, and physical infection.  In particular, communities of colour are disproportionately affected, and this lack of access to period products and facilities widens existing gender inequality and racial disparity. Menstruation without sufficient access to healthcare and products can pose a significant hurdle in both schools and workplaces, which in turn has severe economic consequences on individual lives and the economy as a whole.

Image: Economics Observatory/ Annika Gordon

Tackling period poverty is essential to the resolution of several economic, socio-political, and environmental issues on a global scale. Period poverty directly facilitates practices such as forced hysterectomies [1], domestic abuse, and child marriage, all while promoting financial illiteracy as girls are forced to drop out of school. The World Bank estimates that, globally, 500 million menstruators lack access to adequate facilities for good menstrual health [2]. 

However, the challenge of eliminating period poverty goes beyond the mere availability of infrastructure - it is entrenched in the systematic exclusion of menstruating individuals from education and employment, as well as social practices in communities around the world. The culture of silence around periods stems from various taboos and stigmas scattered across the globe, which limit access to essential information.They also work to perpetuate a social order which places women and girls at the bottom through a widespread disregard of menstrual hygiene needs.

In April 2019, the UK Government declared their intention to provide free sanitary products to schools in England – but assurance that this will include universities and other institutions is still pending. Although the UK Government abolished the tampon tax (the classification of period products as luxury goods that placed them in a higher tax bracket) in January 2021, it did not include period pants, a more environmentally-friendly option that continues to attract a 20% tax – thereby removing the choice to make climate-conscious decisions from many menstruators.

The Scottish Government’s initial commitment of £5.2m to make sanitary products available to students in schools, colleges and universities across Scotland from 2018 has been followed-up by £4m being made available to councils in Scotland. This will allow them to work in partnership with other organisations in order to meet  the needs of their constituents. Similarly, the Welsh Government pledged £1m in 2018 to  help local authorities to tackle period poverty in areas where levels of deprivation are highest, whilst further funding the improvement of facilities and equipment in schools to ensure access to good sanitary facilities. Comparatively, the English government has fallen behind in their recognition and prevention of the issue. Although free period products were made available in schools across England last year, the national lockdown in March 2020 posed a significant barrier in accessing these products, with UK-based charity Bloody Good Period having to supply six-times as many products compared to pre-pandemic levels [3]. Research for Menstrual Hygiene Day found that 47% of girls and women in 160 countries have experienced difficulties in procuring period products during the pandemic. [4] Access to period products is fundamentally intertwined with access to education, and the government’s recent move to abolish the tampon tax is no longer enough to tackle the issue in its immensity.

Lack of funding is not the only failure in attempts to tackle period poverty; better education around menstruation is necessary for schools and colleges. The absence of reliable information available to children and teenagers contributes to the attachment of shame to the process,  which leaves 71% of girls aged 14-21 feeling embarrassed when buying menstrual products [5]. Furthermore, the lack of knowledge about menstruation due to the purely anatomical focus in schools nationwide means that the stigma bound to the issue is impossible to dissolve. The lack of conversation and branding of menstruation as ‘unhygienic’ due to cultural taboos results in a structural failure to seriously manage a widespread shortcoming within the social and educational sectors.   

With the recent passing of Menstrual Hygiene Day, the conversation around period poverty and its role in exacerbating poverty, inequality, and illness must be pushed into the mainstream. Lack of access to period products acting as a significant barrier to education can no longer be regarded as a ‘women’s issue’  – its societal impact is widespread and pervasive. Resolving period poverty must be at the forefront of societal and governmental concerns, as it is vital in reducing gender inequality and poverty on a global scale. Menstruation is a natural biological process, and should not be allowed to obstruct access to education for anyone, in any way; it’s time the government’s actions reflect this.  

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-48836690

[2] https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2018/05/25/menstrual-hygiene-management

[3] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/16/period-poverty-covid-pandemic-uk-crisis-charity-menstrual-products

[4] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/16/period-poverty-covid-pandemic-uk-crisis-charity-menstrual-products

[5] https://plan-uk.org/media-centre/almost-half-of-girls-aged-14-21-are-embarrassed-by-their-periods