By Ayena Reynera & Dennise Dumas |
“Sanitary napkins are not that expensive, go buy one to maintain your hygiene. Babae ka pa naman.”
“Period poverty” refers to the lack of access to menstrual and sanitary products or facilities. An estimated 500 menstruating individuals do not have sufficient knowledge about hygienic practices, standards, and needs that one should have. Menstruation is associated with filth and disgust rather than being recognized as a biologically healthy and normal process, which is why this public health concern has largely gone unaddressed. Due to the stigma around periods, discussions concerning product accessibility and even the ingredients in our pads and tampons are avoided. Menstruating as a trans person is also associated with humiliation. Remembering that not all menstruators are women and not all women menstruate is crucial when discussing period poverty.
As it stands, period poverty risks the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of menstruators as they continue to be vulnerable and insecure due to the difficult conditions they are exposed to. The stigma that menstruation is dirty and taboo also negatively reinforces the current situation, causing them to endure the pain, shame, and struggle in social settings; thus, forcing them to stay in their homes. With this, 8% of Filipino girls are reported to miss school because of menstruation.
Period poverty in the Philippines mainly stems from a financial crisis caused by low income and big household sizes. Given the limited monetary resources, a low-income family would rather buy the essentials such as food and water than menstrual products, a lower priority.
As government aid programs do not cover menstrual products for the poor, many low-income and homeless menstruators must handle their cycles independently. For instance, Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) in the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, the biggest penal facility for women in the Philippines, are not provided with regular supplies of essentials and “have to save on napkins.” While purchasing at the co-op is an alternative, prices outside of the city jail are twice as high.
Additionally, the lack of education plays a part in shaping the family’s perception of menstrual hygiene. Having prioritized other needs, menstruators can easily neglect the risk of being unsanitary in favor of more important things to invest money in. They are compelled to utilize materials like folded cloth, rags, paper towels, toilet paper, or cardboard in place of sanitary products. Others limit their use of sanitary items by keeping them around for a long time. Period poverty includes not just a lack of access to goods but also a lack of facilities for hand washing, waste disposal, and access to restrooms.
Women’s rights activists argue that much as they do for soap, toilet paper, and other necessities, budgets for homeless shelters, schools, jails, and public facilities should include free tampons and sanitary napkins. Menstruation remains a taboo in a nation where erectile dysfunction advertisements monopolize television commercial time and jokes about flatulence and bowel movements have spawned entire books. The abundance of euphemisms for menstruation throughout the world is a reflection of the shame and embarrassment that many menstruators still experience.
Achieving period equity
Not only is it crucial to champion the needs of menstruators by educating people about this issue, but it also helps people become more aware of menstrual products. Achieving period equity—a future in which every bleeding individual can manage their periods hygienically and sustainably—requires constantly evaluating existing preconceived notions.
In a poverty-stricken country like the Philippines, menstrual care feels like a luxury when it should be available for every individual who experiences menstruation. It is not a privilege but a right. To that end, we must take part in resolving this periodic crisis to become the best they can be.
We can all work for menstrual equity, and the possibilities are endless. Every action has a ripple effect, regardless of whether it involves writing to elected officials, campaigning for free products in our schools, promoting period positivity on social media, or organizing donation drives for menstruators in need. Coalitions of activists whom each makes even the slightest ripples in their daily lives have the power to trigger a profound shift. Menstrual equity can be realized only when menstrual products are available, secure, and destigmatized.
In the words of Executive Director and CEO of the Pad Project, Melissa Berton, “A period should end a sentence, not a girl's education.”
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