What is Menstrual Equity?

Menstrual Equity refers to universal access to menstrual hygiene products, along with access to education about reproductive health. This is the focus of efforts to provide universal access, and new legislation to provide free menstrual products in prisons, homeless shelters, and schools.

• Every day, 800 million women around the world menstruate, but of those, 500 million lack resources (education, pads/tampons, meds, etc.) to manage their menstruation.

• Women who have access can spend around 5,000 U.S. dollars in their lifetime on menstrual products.

  • Women pay 120 per year, 10 dollars each month, in addition to an estimated 20 dollars on pain medication.

• In countries with state/local sales tax on pads and tampons, around 10% can be added to the already high costs.

• Poor menstrual hygiene has been linked to being susceptible to other diseases, including urinary tract infections.

• About 26% of the global population is a woman of reproductive age.

• Women menstruate for around a total of 7 years during their lifetime.

Why Should I Care?

Though menstrual inequity may not directly affect you, it currently affects millions of women across the world. Girls are unable to attend school for the duration of their period if they are unable to access menstrual products. The cost of taxes on tampons may be too much for many women. Homeless women right in your own town or city have little or no means to access menstrual products. Women in your local jail may not have access to resources if their security guards choose not to provide them. In some places, cultural and religious beliefs about menstruation may cause women to be sent to faraway menstrual huts. And without pads or tampons, women have little means to ensure menstrual hygiene.

How Can I Help?

First, educate yourself! With this website, along with the other resources I have provided, you can access many resources. The topic of menstrual equity is quite broad, so after further research, you can decide which aspect of period inequity most resonates with you. Then you can educate yourself some more and decide what your first steps will be! Here are some examples of steps you can take -- and there are many more: 

• help menstrual inequity in the prison system – reach out to your state representatives and advocate for change. 

• help girls continue their education after getting their periods – help in the initiative to produce and distribute reusable sanitary pads for those in need. 

• help local homeless women - contact local homeless shelters, food banks, or any other organization that provides services for homeless people and discuss how to help provide them with menstrual products. 

• work to reduce the stigma surrounding menstruation - initiate conversations with your friends and family about the severity of period poverty. 

• ensure all public restrooms have pads and tampons - reach out to your public school district and/or local representatives to suggest and brainstorm steps that can be taken.