More than 800 million people menstruate every day, and yet due to the lack of awareness, education, and/or cultural influences, people around the world are shamed for it, made fun of, seen as “impure” and are excluded from everyday activities just because they are menstruating. Menstruation is a natural process that most people go through for nearly 40years of their lives, and spend an average 10 years of their lifetime menstruating. Yet, the products that are necessary to maintain health and hygiene during this period are still inaccessible for most.
Before we proceed to look at each of these dimensions in detail, it is important to acknowledge that not everyone who menstruates is a woman. Trans, nonbinary, and non-gender conforming people menstruate as well. And not all women menstruate; the reasons could be health, age, or people who identify as a transwoman.
What is ‘period poverty’ and who is affected by it?
Period poverty is a term used to describe a systemic lack of access to safe and sustained menstrual products due to financial barriers and/or societal attitudes. It also refers to the financial burden posed by menstrual supplies, such as pads or tampons, pain medication, and underwear. Period poverty also includes a deficiency or absence of knowledge of menstrual hygiene education and sanitary facilities (washrooms/bathrooms).
Period poverty is not just limited to people in the developing nations, but it also affects the ones in developed, industrial countries. Aside from period poverty, according to UNICEF, 2.3 billion live without basic sanitation facilities and only 27% have access to adequate handwashing facilities. This is an important factor to consider as we cannot talk about menstrual hygiene with people struggling to have basic sanitation services in place and poses additional difficulties for people to menstruate.
Disability and poverty
First, let’s understand what these terms entail. According to the CDC, “a disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).” People with disability face discrimination that is unjustifiable and solely based on certain things they can or cannot do. This discrimination also leads to exclusion from key development areas like employment, education, health care, etc, which also has social and economic implications.
Poverty, too, is a complicated and multifaceted issue with several factors, but at its core, poverty is when a person lacks financial resources or material possessions which are essential to satisfy one’s basic needs. We are also looking at period poverty in this context, as products that enable people to have safe and hygienic menstrual health should be treated as essentials whole most of the time are not.
Now, these two complex issues have a two-way link as disability can be seen as both a cause and a consequence of poverty. On one hand, disability can cause poverty, due to the exclusion and prevention of full participation of disabled individuals in the political, legal, economic, and social processes as these services do not support or accommodate disabled people. On the other hand, disability can also be a consequence of poverty as researchers found that poverty increases the likelihood of disability. People living in poverty are more susceptible to ill health or injuries which could lead to short or long-term disability. Poverty can lead people to work in unsafe work environments resulting in injuries or lack of health services for the poor, like immunization and proper treatment for injuries which often makes them vulnerable to diseases that are some of the main causes for disability.
Period poverty in the Disabled Community
Conversations about menstruation often overlook disabled people, and it is a conversation we cannot have without creating an inclusive space for everyone who experiences it. Disabled people already face difficulties due to social exclusion and lack of infrastructure that accommodates their needs. In addition, menstrual hygiene products in some countries are considered a “luxury good” making them less affordable for many, especially for disabled people living in poverty. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that period poverty disproportionately affects disabled people, who not only do not have access to menstrual hygiene products, but some who do not even have access to sanitation facilities (washrooms). People around the world avoid going to work and young girls avoid going to school as they are made fun of or are uncomfortable while menstruating, which affects their education and subsequently not being able to reach their full potential.
Furthermore, I believe that the first step to help tackle the problem is education and awareness, which includes normalizing menstruation and addressing the stigma that surrounds it. Disabled people already deal with several forms of exclusion on multiple levels, which can cause poverty and consequently, period poverty. Periods are a complicated issue for disabled people, but they menstruate too! And I strongly believe that products that enable anyone to have safe and hygienic menstruation should be accessible for everyone.
References
Suliver. “Poverty and Disability: A Two Way Link.” Suliver, 28 Nov. 2017, www.suliver.org/poverty-and-disability-a-two-way-link/.
“Disability and Health Overview.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Sept. 2020, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/disability.html.
W, A. “Women Enabled Takes to the Streets to Demand an End to Period Poverty.” Women Enabled International, 25 Oct. 2019, womenenabled.org/blog/women-enabled-takes-to-the-streets-to-demand-an-end-to-period-po verty/.
Sanchez, Erica. “Period Poverty: Everything You Need to Know.” Global Citizen, 6 Feb. 2019, www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/period-poverty-everything-you-need-to-know/?template=n ext.
Brooks, Laken. “Disabled People Menstruate, Too. Which Reusable Products Might Work For You?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 25 Mar. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/lakenbrooks/2021/03/25/disabled-people-menstruate-too-which-reusab le-products-might-work-for-you/?sh=10875a2c1241. Bank, World. “Menstrual Hygiene Management Enables Women and Girls to Reach Their Full Potential.”
World Bank, 25 May 2018, www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2018/05/25/menstrual-hygiene-management.
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