A Research Cluster focusing on menstrual equity and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is critically needed to address significant global health and gender equality issues. Menstrual health is an integral part of overall health and a key component of comprehensive SRHR. However, millions of women and girls worldwide lack access to menstrual products, proper sanitation, and education, leading to significant negative impacts on their lives.
Period poverty refers to the inability to afford and access menstrual products, sanitation, hygiene facilities, education, and awareness to manage menstrual health. This issue is driven by stigma, the high cost of menstrual products, and a lack of water and sanitation facilities. In many places, gender-blind policies and tax laws, such as the "pink tax" on feminine products, exacerbate the problem.
The consequences of period poverty are far-reaching and include:
- Health impacts: Lack of access to menstrual products and hygiene facilities can negatively affect the health of women and girls. Unsafe management of menstruation can lead to infections and other health issues.
- Educational setbacks: Inadequate access to sanitation keeps many girls away from school during their periods.
- Economic barriers: Women and girls may miss work due to a lack of menstrual products and facilities. There is evidence that links SRHR to women and girls’ economic empowerment. It is estimated that with each additional child born to a woman between the ages of 25 and 39, labor participation decreases by 10 to 15%.
- Social inequalities: Stigma and discrimination surrounding menstruation are heightened in many communities. In some parts of the world, menstruating girls and women are seen as dirty or untouchable.
In Canada, one in five people who menstruate may not be able to afford period products. One in six Canadians who menstruate have experienced period poverty, and this rises to one in four for those in households earning less than $40,000 a year. Period poverty disproportionately impacts youth, single mothers, Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized communities, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, people living with disabilities, gender diverse individuals, and those who live in remote areas.
In the United States, one in four teens and one in three adults struggle to afford period products, especially teens of color and lower-income households. Globally, millions of women and girls cannot afford menstrual products or access safe water and sanitation. In some countries like Bangladesh and Egypt, many girls are unaware of menstruation before their first period. In several countries, adolescent girls and women in urban areas are more likely to use sanitary pads than their rural counterparts. In Ethiopia, one in five adolescent girls and women in rural areas use no materials during their periods compared with one in twenty in urban areas.
Menstrual equity is not solely about providing menstrual products but also about addressing the underlying issues of stigma, lack of education, and inadequate access to sanitation. It also requires that all people who menstruate have the right, knowledge and ability to make decisions and to access services concerning their reproductive life and sexuality. A comprehensive approach to SRHR includes providing services, education, counseling, and information, while also addressing the gendered inequalities, discriminatory social norms, and institutional structures that limit the promotion of SRHR.
This Research Cluster will promote collaboration to better understand these issues and develop solutions. It will encourage research on access, affordability, and stigma related to menstruation, as well as comprehensive sexuality education. The goal through this cluster is to foster bring scholars in this space for collaborative research, building new evidence, and advocacy.
The Principal Researcher and lead for the Cluster is the CFR Visiting Scholar Aashraya Seth. To join the cluster, please reach out to him at aashraya@yorku.ca or complete the EoI: https://forms.office.com/r/Ksp6jC1KsC
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