Fighting Period Poverty
Image from Unsplash - Annika Gordon
During the earliest months of the COVID-19 Pandemic, millions of Americans stocked up at home on masks, hand soap, and toilet paper. The extreme shopping of a select few caused a lack of sanitation products for millions of other people, heightening the income inequality divide between people. Prior to the Pandemic, however, a lack of access to sanitation products had already been an existing crisis within the United States of America, most impactfully for those who have menstrual cycles. All people, regardless of gender or financial circumstances, should have the fundamental right to access hygiene products and not be limited by the affordability of the items.
Period Poverty is a phenomenon that has persisted all across the world, defined most specifically as the inability to afford or find menstrual awareness, products, and sanitation services. This situation has numerous causes, one of the most notable being the “pink tax”, which is the noticeable difference in the prices between items that men and women purchase. From Cradle to Cane: The Cost of Being a Female Consumer, a study conducted in New York City on gender pricing, found that products aimed at female consumers were thirteen percent more expensive than products aimed at male consumers. This added cost can make it difficult for women to access important hygiene products which can also disrupt their daily lives.
The problem of Period Poverty can affect nearly anyone who has a menstrual cycle, including low-income individuals, students in higher educational institutions, those who are incarcerated, and many people who are transgender and non-binary as well. According to the UNFPA in 2022, people who face this inability to access products can face barriers to daily life and additional opportunities. Menstruation is often considered a topic to be spoken about in hushed whispers, which allows for even less discussion in multiple professional spaces, leading to the exclusion of those who have menstrual cycles.
There are several ways to mitigate the domino effect that Period Poverty can have on the daily life of millions of people. The most effective and efficient way to alleviate such high prices is to remove the taxes placed on menstrual products that still exist in many states today. By initiating this first step, these products will no longer be considered “luxury” and will be easier for those using government programs to buy for more accessible prices. Another method is to start making period products free in schools and other public spaces, which diminish the number of people leaving class or work because they cannot obtain a sanitary product.
All people, regardless of gender or financial circumstances, should have the fundamental right to access hygiene products and not be limited by the affordability of the items. The COVID-19 Pandemic was just a small glimpse into what daily life can look like for millions of people across the United States of America and even beyond the country into the rest of the world. A menstrual cycle is a natural process of human life just like sweating and should never limit or burden a person from doing anything because they cannot access a specific product.
