What is period poverty?

According to the United Nations, nearly 1.25 billion people live in extreme poverty and struggle to meet their basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. However, there is a critical need that often goes unnoticed and shrouded in shame - period poverty.

Period poverty is defined as not having adequate access to menstrual hygiene products (pads,tampons etc), washing facilities to manage periods, or education about periods. Students, people who are homeless, and those with disabilities are at particularly higher risk of experiencing period poverty.

What negative effects do period poverty have?

Imagine you are having heavy blood flow due your period, but you don’t have a pad or tampon to manage it. You try toilet paper or maybe even a rag, but because those item are not really meant to absorb the blood, it inevitably leaks on your clothes.

For men, I often use this analogy: Imagine your nose starts to bleed uncontrollably , but you have no tissues to manage it. Would you want to go to work like this?

Periods on average last up to 5 days. Can you miss 5 days a month straight of school or work?

This is the impact period poverty has on these women/girls.Where there is poverty, there is period poverty, and being unable to manage their periods adequately keeps them in the cycle of poverty. Girls miss important exams causing them to not do well in their classes. Women miss opportunities to be promoted or even are let go from work due to excessive absences. Period poverty hold women and girls back from reaching their full potential.

Negative impact period poverty has on a woman in the workforce

• Wage Loss

• Supervisor disapproval

• Absenteeism

• Decrese confidence and dignity

• Difficulty focusing or performing as normal at work