MENSTRUAL EQUITY

WHAT is period poverty and menstrual equity?

Imagine this:
It is a beautiful day and you are watching your favorite show on TV. All of a sudden, you feel something and you realize that you got your period. You go to the bathroom to look for pads but you do not find any. Then you go into your mom’s room searching for other sanitary products, such as a tampon, yet still, you do not find any. You are scared to talk to your mom about getting your period, not only because you feel embarrassed but also because she has been having other financial burdens lately, and you would rather wait until everything settles down to speak with her about this.

This is the unpleasant reality for many women and girls in the United States. Currently, there are 22 million women living in poverty in the United States. Studies have shown that 1 in 4 women and girls are unable to afford tools for menstrual hygiene, including sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management, a concept known as period poverty. The most vulnerable groups of period poverty are students and homeless girls & women, especially Black, Latinx, and immigrant menstruators. This issue gets worse— 4 in 5 students in the United States miss class time or know someone who has missed school due to lack of access to menstrual products. Homeless girls and women especially are at high risk of period poverty, not only lacking the financial abilities to afford menstrual products but also lacking adequate access to bathrooms. Period poverty affects mental health, causing women and girls to feel embarrassed about their periods and exacerbating period stigma.

WHY menstrual equity is essential?

Menstruation is very stigmatized around the world. When girls are on their period, they are seen as impure by their communities. Sixty-four percent of girls in the United States believe that society teaches them to feel embarrassment when they are on their period. The stigma surrounding periods also affects the mental health of many girls, causing them to feel self-conscious and putting them on a path towards depression. For example, 71% of girls feel self-conscious when they are on their period. Yet why is it that only 23% of teenagers understand the meaning of ‘menstrual equity’?

It is important to discuss period poverty and stigma in order to reduce the shame associated with menstruation and make access to menstrual products easier. Menstrual poverty is something that affects millions of girls around the world, and menstrual equity is essential to reducing and eliminating shame, empowering women, girls, and other menstruating people around the world, as well as creating a more open and understanding society. Given that menstruation affects about half of the world’s population, as a society we need to collectively recognize these issues and fight for menstrual justice.

HOW can period poverty and menstrual equity be addressed?

Actions to take:

How to address period poverty and menstrual equity?

Period poverty and menstrual equity should be addressed by encouraging the use of recyclable menstrual products such as menstrual cups, and encouraging usage of sustainable products.
Another issue that should be addressed is tax on menstrual products. Often called the “Pink Tax,” this is the tendency for feminine products to be priced higher than products for males. Although 23 states are not imposing taxes on menstrual products, including Connecticut (YAY!), 27 still are. Taxes on menstrual products are unnecessary and only add to the financial burden of purchasing menstrual products. In the United States, food, which is a necessity for humans, is not taxed. Arguably, menstrual products are also a necessity and it is unfair to millions of women, girls, and other menstruating people to pay for taxes on menstrual products. If you live in a state that still taxes menstrual products, raise awareness on the issue. Make infographics and hang them around your town, your school, and even post them on Social Media. You can also create a collective of students and other people interested in helping to push legislators to eliminate the “Pink Tax.”

How to avoid period stigma:

Openly discuss menstruation by teaching simplified versions of the menstrual cycle to girls and boys in elementary school and openly discussing it in health classes in middle and high school. It is especially important to openly talk about menstruation to elementary-aged students in order to avoid period stigma cycling through generations.
Avoid using slang or code words when talking about your period. Using slang words to discuss your period hastens period stigma by maintaining the idea that being on your period is shameful. Some common code words for period include:
- That Time of the Month (TTOTM)
- Aunt Flo
- Code Red
- Mother Nature
- Shark Week

What is period stigma?

How to get involved:

Get involved with legislative efforts. Representative Grace Meng sponsored the Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2019, which never received a vote. In Connecticut specifically, there are efforts to pass a menstrual equity bill sponsored by Representative Kate Farrar and students across the state. Join the efforts to help end period poverty and push for menstrual equity!
Organize a menstrual product drive. Collect donations of menstrual products such as pads, tampons, and diva cups. You can give these products to students in need or donate them to local women’s shelters.