This time, it’s wasn’t the US, India, or China making the headlines, but a tiny nation within the European domain that became the leading example in advancing the agenda of women empowerment.
Well, for those of you who are following the international news daily, you might already know that the country we are talking about is Scotland. It is set to become the first country to legislate on combating ‘period poverty‘.
So, we hope to spread this news and ensure that it gets as much attention as possible, and that many countries follow the example set by the Scottish. Now, let’s understand what period poverty is.
Period poverty refers to “Having a lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints.” Due to this, people who menstruate face many problems such as homelessness, violent relationships, and deteriorating health conditions like endometriosis. For a deeper understanding, visit this awesome page.
UNICEF had also reported that period poverty stops menstruating people from reaching their full potential that further impacts the economy and productivity of a nation. On average, a menstruating person menstruates for about 7 years during their lifetime, therefore the effective dealing of the period is a must-to-do task.
It has also been reported that 1 in 10 women can’t afford sanitary pads or tampons.
Currently, our policies and awareness programs regarding Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) are running only around providing safe sanitary options, but they fail to deal with the gravity of problems created by the evils of period poverty. The idea is not to advocate any opinion against the running advertisements regarding sanitary products but we are worried that those ads are just covering the commercial aspect of the problem by glorifying the pads.
There is no conversation around menstrual cups, period panties, the phenomenon of white discharge. Why?
Its high time that India sets out its priority straight and brings legislation on MHM, on the lines of Scotland. The mentioned statute should encompass every aspect of menstruation, its taboos, and effective strategies and methods to deal with it.