Primary Functions
- Learn about key problems related to period poverty and what is being done about it.
- Find guidance on eradicating period poverty for good.
Detailed Description
All around the world women are being held back in life and even put in danger, simply because of their period. Period poverty is a global issue, but even in the UK alone, 1 in 10 girls can’t afford to buy menstrual products, with many missing school as a result.
But period poverty isn’t just about affordability. Many women and girls don’t have access to hygienic facilities, or feel unable to manage their periods with dignity – often due to stigma or superstitious or religious dogma around menstruation.
This guide will outline the key problems, what’s being done, and how it can be eradicated for good.
The guide will cover:
- Period poverty in the western world
- How period poverty has a negative impact on:
- Education and work
- Health
- Emotional wellbeing
- The history of myths and taboos about periods
- Period poverty in developing countries
Despite period products being available widely in the UK, 10% of girls have been unable to afford sanitary wear at some point. But that’s not all. Did you know that according to Plan International:
- One in seven girls have struggled to afford sanitary wear
- One in five girls have had to switch to less suitable sanitary wear due to cost
- More than one in ten girls has had to improvise sanitary wear due to affordability issues
The charity Bloody Good Period estimates the average lifetime cost of having a period amounts to £4,800. For low-income families who find it hard to afford even basic necessities, being able to afford menstrual products each month can be impossible.
This is clearly an issue that needs to be tackled, yet so do many of the stigmas surrounding menstruation that help perpetuate this problem. Lack of education and conversation around periods can give rise to shame about this perfectly natural, healthy bodily function. In turn, this pushes the conversation away from periods and prevents girls and women feeling comfortable about asking for what they need.
Read more here.
