Period poverty is when women do not have access to sanitary products and safe spaces to use them. Where negative stigmas surrounding menstruation still prevail.
This form of poverty is closely tied to issues of gender equality in education. In Africa, one in 10 girls in Africa will miss school when they have their periods. Access to education is one of the main contributors to infant mortality. However, if all women completed secondary school education than child mortality would be cut in half – saving 3 million lives! It is clear that period poverty has far-reaching consequences. Ending period poverty is a sustainability issue, it affects both the social and environmental.
In the UK, 2 billion menstrual products are flushed down the toilet every year. Which would explain why they are the 5th most common item found on European beaches. This is devastating for the environment, as menstrual products are 90% plastic and take 500+ years to break down!
Helping the environment and ending period poverty are linked issues. When we educate women and girls on the impacts their sanitary products have, they can make better, informed choices. Handing out free sanitary products is not the only solution. These products are un-recyclable and are damaging to local environments - not to mention costly. By combining sustainability and period poverty you can find solutions that tackle both issues.
For instance, using reusable pads or menstrual cups, will prevent the problem of single-use. It also is a more cost-effective solution to manging periods. Considering the average women will spend roughly £5000 on period products in her life time, using products that are better for the environment and less costly is a great solution!
If you have access and can afford to, make more environmentally conscious choices about your period products. Instead of single-use pads or tampons choose:
Reusable menstrual cups
Reusable cloth pads
Period pants
Organic/Plastic free disposables
Contraceptive methods
You can also help support campaigns like Action Aid and Freedom for Girls in their fight for ending period poverty sustainably.
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