The Issue
Many menstruators in low or middle income communities face the
issue of period poverty every month, being unable to access suitable and
effective period products, clean bathrooms, and health education. The
expensive price of period products, at almost $10 for a box of 14 tampons, can
cause difficult decisions for low-income womxn, who can not afford spending
an average of $7 every month for each menstruator in their household.
Mothers are faced with having to choose between food for their children and
getting proper menstrual products and while some womxn might be able to
afford products, they have no accessibility where they live, and cannot afford
for transportation to get the nearest products. These womxn are given limited
resources to replace these necessary products and are regularly faced with
having to use dirty socks and pads, and public restroom paper towels instead.
According to a St. Louis University study, it was found that 64 percent of the
women in the city had not been able to afford period products in the past
year, with 21 percent of the women experiencing period poverty every month.
“The Tampon Tax”
Not only do pads and tampons need to be purchased often, but they
are non-exempt from sales tax, which has come to be known as “the tampon
tax.” Thousands of health and hygiene items are exempt from the sales tax,
but in many states, menstrual products still have this tax. Progress has been
made, with Nevada, New York, Florida, Connecticut, and Illinois eliminating
the tax by 2018, and five other states already not having sales tax. In 2019,
California and Rhode Island attempted to address the issue, putting in their
budgets that they would repel the tax for a limited time. Besides the United
States, other countries, such as Canada, India, and Australia have eliminated
the tax.
The Stigma around Periods
Despite period poverty being an issue that has been becoming more
well known in the past few years, there has always been a stigma around the
topic of periods, especially when it comes to people having a lack of
education about it. Womxn have been taught by society to hide their pads
and tampons when around others and whisper when asking their friends if
they have a spare, when it is a natural and regular occurrence that happens to
all womxn. Periods have always been seen as a “girl problem”, which is
non-inclusive to trans men and relays the message that boys should not need
to deal with the topic of periods. If more people were educated about the
naturalness and regularity of periods, periods would feel less uncomfortable
for everyone to talk about and the issue of period poverty would further be
recognized as an issue everyone should be fighting against.
Initiatives for Change
Other than states and countries exempting the sales tax from menstrual
products, other initiatives all over the world are being made to fight period
poverty. Many schools include free products for menstruating students,
making them more available to the younger generations who need them.
Companies are even contributing to the fight against period poverty, with an
online company called Boxed having a #RethinkPink campaign, which
discounted menstrual products in opposition to the tampon tax. Furthermore,
there are many organizations and associations dedicated to fighting period
poverty and the tampon tax, such as PERIOD., Freedom4Girls, and Periods
with Pride. Recently, a big event has occurred in response to period poverty
with a bill being passed in Scotland, allowing free and universal access to
menstrual products in public facilities. Scotland is the first country to pass a
bill for free period products and the bill will change the lives of many womxn
in Scotland, who will not have to worry about if they can afford these
necessities. In the past few years, many people have become more aware of
the effects of period poverty on womxn and recognition for the cause has led
to more people wanting to help out and fight against this issue.
What can we do?
For right now, change can occur if more people start to become aware
of the issue, donate, advocate about the topic, and get involved in the many
organizations that strive to fight period poverty. Periods with Pride, a
registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is one of these organizations who
strive to make menstrual hygiene products available and accessible. As an
organization, they collect period products through drives and make care
packages to donate to local organizations in California, where womxn who
need them can access the products. With more donations and awareness of
period poverty, we can make a difference in the lives of the low-income families that need these products. Please donate to organizations like Periods
with Pride, Freedom4Girls, and PERIOD. Educate yourselves and others on
period poverty and work towards eliminating the stigma around periods.
Without our help, women and their families will continue to face the
challenges that come with period poverty. With awareness and donations,
period poverty can be ended. The more people that are unafraid to talk about
the issue, the more awareness will grow and change can be made. Help end
period poverty!
Definition of “womxn”: an alternative spelling of the word “woman” to avoid
spelling woman, which derives from the word man/men, and to be inclusive
of trans and nonbinary women.
Sources
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