The History of Period Poverty

What is Period Poverty?

Period poverty is the global issue of women struggling to afford or access basic menstrual hygiene products or have the proper hygiene when dealing with their periods. Many women, particularly those with low incomes, can’t afford essential items like pads or tampons, or don’t have clean, safe spaces to manage their menstrual cycles. This problem is bigger than the high cost of period products - it involves the shame, stigma, and lack of education surrounding menstruation. This prevents women from maintaining the proper hygiene, or speaking out about issues relating to their period.

Origins of Period Poverty

Period poverty has always been around in some form as menstruation has consistently been filled with mystery, fear, and cultural taboos. Many ancient societies viewed menstruation as a mysterious and potentially dangerous biological process. This lead to the marginalization and isolation of menstruating individuals.

Many traditional cultures considered menstruating women “unclean” and often segretated form them during their cycles. These practices were prevalent across many geographical regions from Native American tribes, to rural societies in Asia and Africa. However, customs such as these have not completely diminished.

For example, rural areas of India, such as Stitatola, a village in central Maharashtra, still implement such stigmatic rules. In Stitatola, women are banished to thatched huts outside their village called gaokors during their cycle. The gaokors lack the basic living necessities like a bed and kitchen as women are not permitted to cook during menstruation. They must instead, rely on food and items brought to them by their family during their stay. Forms of stigma around women’s periods are still present among modern societies too. For example, among Indians, it is considered taboo for women to pray or engage in religious activity during their periods.

Factors of Marginalization

Economic Disparities:

Menstrual products have always been expensive in relevance to many household incomes. Even though industrialization and commercial menstrual products have progressed and become more available, they still remain financially out of reach for lower-income populations. Menstrual products are often wrongly classified as “luxury items” when they are basic necessities for women. This further increases their cost and reduces accessibility.

Cultural and Social Stigmas:

Deeply ingrained cultural narratives portrayed menstruation as unclean and impure. As mentioned above, menstruating women were prohibited from participating in religious ceremonies, entering sacred spaces, or engaging in everyday community activities in many societies. These practices created environments of shame and silence surrounding menstrual health.

Gender Inequality:

Patriarchal social structures consistently marginalized women’s health needs. Menstrual health was/is rarely prioritized in public health discussions, medical research, or policymaking, further entrenching period poverty.

Public Consciousness:

The conversation around period poverty began gaining momentum in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Feminist movements and global health organizations helped bring the issue into the limelight by addressing the systemic challenges faced by menstruating individuals.

Modern Awareness:

The recognition of period poverty has led to multiple structured awareness initiatives. Period Poverty Awareness Week (PPAW) is one of the more popular efforts dedicated to highlighting the challenges of period poverty. It was established to create widespread awareness and change. PPAW occurs annually from May 20-28, leading up to Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28).

Some other efforts to combat period poverty include:

- Legislative efforts to reduce or eliminate taxes on menstrual products

- School programs providing free menstrual products

- Global nonprofit initiatives distributing sanitary products in underserved communities

- Educational programs focused on menstrual health and destigmatization

- Corporate and governmental policies supporting menstrual equity

There is a lot of work going into the fight for period poverty, but still, the journey of understanding and addressing the issue continues to evolve, representing the health, social justice, and rights of women all over the world. Click here to see how you can join our mission and help the cause.