Period poverty and its consequences; why we need to make menstruation products free worldwide

Half of the world´s population has to spend a significant amount of money on sanitary items essential to stay functioning every month; within a woman´s lifetime, an average of 2,400 days is spent having a period. 

Period poverty and free access; the costs

With the current prices of menstruation products, women who by nature, have to use approximately 12,000 tampons or liners throughout their life, are forced to spend a minimum of €2,000 on essential sanitary items, tax included.

Practically taxing women´s bodies, wouldn´t it make much more sense to invest money into providing essential free products for half of the world´s population, instead of using it to encourage foreign wars? While period poverty is a relevant issue today, it has been a concern since the beginning of humankind.

Period poverty and free products; history of menstrual products

The use of menstrual care products goes back to centuries; in ancient Greece, women used lint wrapped around wood, moss, and buffalo skin for pads and tampons, which was replaced by European women using woven fabric or flannel to make re-used, homemade cloth pads in the 18th and 19th centuries; much more affordable but less hygienic methods than what is the norm today.

Yet despite, the development of disposable menstrual products, such as tampons, pads and menstrual cups, women in the 21st century don´t always have the access to such indispensable sanitary items.

The efforts to end period poverty; fight for free products

Only in 2021, after centuries of fighting for women´s rights, Scotland became the first country in the world to make menstrual products free of charge. Under The Period Products (Free Provision) Act of 2021, women could receive menstruation products free of charge, sent to their homes, found at work, at school, college or university and health centres.

Not long after, Catalonia followed, introducing free access to reusable menstrual underwear, a menstrual cup, or two cloth pads, alongside specialised advice available at all pharmacies, under the Comprehensive Menstrual Equity and Climacteric Plan 2023-2025.

The programme was developed by the regional government after a survey found that 44 per cent of women in Catalonia couldn´t afford their first-choice period product and 23 per cent reported having to reuse items designed for single use. Catalonia´s Minister of Equality and Feminism, Tania Verfe Mestre shared; “precisely because the right to one´s own body is as personal as it is political; it must be at the centre of the political agenda.”

The future of free period products; no more poverty?

The President of the European Union of Women Margaret Hales spoke to the Euro Weekly News to express her concern for the high costs of menstrual products.

She shared the experience of her family member; “My mother-in-law told me that when she started menstruating, her mother gave her old pieces of cloth…she called them rags. And my mother-in-law saved up every penny of her pocket money so that she could afford sanitary pads.” Hales emphasised that today, despite the rise in feminism, “there is still so much stigma,” when it comes to menstruation.

A natural process in every woman´s life, the free access to menstrual products would result in nothing but an improved well-being of half of the world´s population and an advancement in the global effort for gender equality; so why are we still not there?

Read more news by Anna Akopyan

Related health and lifestyle news