Learn

What is “Period Poverty”?

"Period poverty" is a global issue affecting women, girls, non-binary and transgender people who don’t have access to safe, hygienic sanitary products, and/or who are unable to manage their periods with dignity, sometimes due to community stigma and sanction. Access to sanitary products, safe/hygienic spaces in which to use them, and the right to manage menstruation without shame or stigma are essential for everyone who menstruates.

Key Issues We are (still) Facing Globally in 2021

1. Periods don’t stop for pandemics. The number of menstruators facing period poverty has even risen sharply during the coronavirus lockdown, further demonstrating gender inequality across the globe. Read more on Periods in the Pandemic: 9 Things We Need to Know
2. Lack of menstrual education and the stigma behind it, not only causes stress and mental health issues for the menstruators but also costs them educational opportunities in some countries. Learn more on ActionAid: Period and Girls’ Education
3. Tampon tax remains a challenge to Period/Menstrual Equity. Only a handful of countries have abolished or reduced sales taxes for tampons and other sanitary products. The UK is the latest country to eliminate tax starting 2021. In the U.S., 30 states still tax them. More details on Period Equity: End the Tampon Tax

Advocate

Menstrual Equity combats both period poverty and stigma. After learning and giving, advocacy plays an important role in manifesting change. We encourage you to use the knowledge to educate not only the menstruators but everyone in the following subjects:

Advocate for Period Education to Remove the Stigma

• Share resources like this Self Period guidebook designed for all ages, but especially for pre-teens and teens to advance the menstrual care for black people with periods by #HappyPeriod
• Become an ambassador for organizations like Days For Girls

Advocate for Eliminating Tampon Tax

• Explore Period Equity and the interactive map on Tax Free Period (towards the end of the page) to find out whether your state has tampon tax

• Inspire others by sharing the progress we made with content like "How an 18-year-old student Helena Branco successfully reduce the tampon tax in Brazil and The UK become the latest country to eliminate tampon tax.

Advocate for Menstrual Equity of Non-binary and Transgender People

• Stand firm on menstrual equity must include everyone who menstruates
• Normalize gender-neutral language (e.g. people who menstruate, menstruators) in menstruation education and legislation

Our Partners 

I Support the Girls 

I Support the Girls (ISTG) collects and distributes essential items, including bras, underwear, and menstrual hygiene products, through homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, refugee resettlement homes, foster care agencies, LGBTQ agencies, homes for pregnant teens, correctional facilities and more, allowing every menstruator experiencing homelessness, impoverishment, or distress to stand tall with dignity.

Visit their website

 

ActionAid 

ActionAid is working to make sure every woman and girl can manage her period with dignity, by helping girls learn about periods, distributing sanitary kits in emergencies and training women to make cheap, reusable sanitary pads. As the pandemic hit the most vulnerable rural and urban communities, more aid is needed. To shine a spotlight on period poverty around the world, ActionAid has launched the  Period Cost Calculator. The Calculator estimates how much money you spend on your period each month and even how much you’ll spend over your lifetime. Your results are likely to be a stark reminder of the financial burden of menstruating.

Visit their website

 

The Hygiene Bank 

The Hygiene Bank is a grassroots, community initiative group that gives hygiene, personal care products to people who need them across the UK.

Visit their website

 

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Download the Period Guide by #HappyPeriod