Menstrual Equity: Bettering the Future
May 30 • Written by Azbah Wasim
Menstruation is a monthly occurrence for many women around the world, bringing about a few days of menstrual bleeding. With such comes the need for various menstrual hygiene products, ranging from tampons to pads, and many more. Yet, over 22 million women living in poverty, in the US alone, do not have the ability to afford menstrual hygiene products regularly, leaving them with no way to deal with their situation. This problem is described as period poverty, and is a key reason why menstrual equity needs to become a topic of major discussion.
Menstruation is a natural human process that many individuals face on a regular basis, making products that help deal with such necessities, not luxuries only a select few can afford. Such a notion of these products being viewed as luxuries can simply be due to the sheer cost of these products, and to their availability. Individuals who do rely on food stamps are still stripped from access to these products, as menstrual hygiene products are not covered by such. This leads to innovative ways of dealing with an individual's period, or prolonged use of the limited amount of menstrual hygiene products they have access to, which has the potential of leading to severe irritation and further problems.
As menstrual equity becomes a topic of increasing awareness, there are efforts being made to work on addressing such issues in hopes of bettering them. One method is to get rid of the tax that is placed on menstrual hygiene products. Food, a necessity, something used to fulfill a basic biological need, is not taxed. Menstruation, in the same way, is a natural biological process for most, and thus, should not be taxed either.
Further, we need to make these menstrual hygiene products more accessible to individuals in all settings. Students should have access to free menstrual products within educational institutes to be able to care for a biological process which they are enduring.
When such a topic of making products like pads and tampons more accessible comes up, an argument can be made about the negative impact of such an increase on the environment. The argument is correct, disposable menstrual hygiene products do pose negative implications for the environment, but there are ways we can work towards bettering such. Sustainable menstrual products exist, but they are either very under promoted or are awfully expensive, making them very inaccessible for various individuals. To maximize the reach of these products, we must work to cut prices and promote them, while also educating individuals on what choice of menstrual product is best for them.
Another mode of action which you can take yourself is by contributing to a period product drive. Many organizations around the community take part or host such drives within which period products are collected within the community and then are distributed to individuals in need. In this way, individuals within the community who don't have access to these products will be given the opportunity to use them.
Similar to this, this month, Peel GEMs held our EcoFlow event. During the event participants aided in the process of crafting Period Kits for individuals impacted by menstrual poverty to work towards menstrual equity within the Peel region, took part in a collaborative podcast discussion on menstrual inequity, and took part in informative discussions led by industry professionals to learn more about menstrual inequality and how menstrual equity is crucial for a sustainable future.
Equal access to menstrual products is a goal we must strive to attain. The focus should not only be on ensuring all menstruating individuals have access to such products, but also that they have the opportunity and access to education regarding such topics. Many individuals around the world become victims of menstrual poverty. Young youth, single mothers, members of the Indigenous community, racialized communities, individuals experiencing homelessness and more. This is a worldwide issue which deserves attention and an action plan.
As I end off this blog post on the detriments of menstrual poverty, I would like to highlight the menstruating women within Palestine. "The UN estimates that nearly 700,000 women and girls in Gaza have menstrual cycles", and are currently managing such with little to no privacy, no access to menstrual hygiene products, clean water and toilets. Although this issue may be small in comparison to the other tragedies they face on a daily basis, it is still one of the many ounces of pain and misery that they have been burdened with. We must open our eyes to the issues faced by the women, men and children of Palestine, issues beyond, but including, period poverty and the absolutely minimal access they have to manage their periods.
