The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that every month, 1.8 billion girls, women, transgender persons and non-binary persons across the world menstruate. For all these menstruators, period poverty and lack of menstrual equity are severe issues. Period poverty not only impacts our physical and reproductive health, but also our mental health and out economic prospects—especially given that many girls in India are forced to quit school when they start menstruating and completely go without all the opportunities of growth an education can provide.
In a country like India, even in this day and age, period poverty and lack of menstrual hygiene are serious issues that plague us. Some of the main causes of period poverty:
- Gender inequality
- Discriminatory social norms
- Cultural taboos
- Poverty
- Lack of education
- Lack of access to basic health services
Period poverty is therefore a social justice issue which needs your attention today! Three Indian women—Maya Vishwakarma (the Padwoman of India), Janvi Tiwari (the founder of Soqo) and Prachi Kaushik (the founder of Vyomini)–who are working to eliminate period poverty and bring about menstrual equity across India talk about the issue in this video. Watch to find out more.