Taking Action Against Period Poverty

Approximately 50 local women and girls in need will be assisted with the feminine hygiene products Soroptimist Oak Harbor collected and donated this week to I Support the Girls - Whidbey Island, WA  as part of the club's #SoroptimistsUplifterHER focus during May on #PeriodPoverty. Members from both organizations met recently for the items to be presented. They will now get out to the public through 46 schools, vetted social service organizations, free stores and more so that women and girls won't need to miss school and fall behind in their education, or miss work, affecting their income and economic opportunities.

What is period poverty?  The inability to afford or access menstrual products, hygiene facilities, and education to manage menstrual health. 

What causes period poverty?  

• Stigma: Cultural taboos and misconceptions about menstruation that lead to shame and misinformation. 

• High Cost of Menstrual Products: Many women and girls cannot afford sanitary products due to financial constraints. They are taxed as luxury items in many places despite being a necessity. 

• Lack of Water and Sanitation Facilities: Inadequate access to clean water and sanitation hampers proper menstrual hygiene management. 

  
  

This lack of access in and of itself causes immense difficulty for women and girls in their everyday lives.  As a result, girls may miss school and fall behind in their education, while women may miss work, affecting their income and economic opportunities. 

What are the facts?

• An estimated 500 million people worldwide lack access to menstrual hygiene products. (Source: UNICEF & WHO) 

• 20 U.S. states still tax menstrual products as luxury items (as of 2024). (Source: Period Equity & Alliance for Period Supplies) 

• 70% of Canadian menstruating people have missed school or work due to lack of access to period products. (Source: Canadian Public Health Association) 

• Nearly 30% of Japanese women aged 15-24 reported feeling embarrassed when colleagues or classmates found out about their period. (Source: Plan International) 

• In Mexico, 42% of adolescent girls and women report missing school during their period (Source: United Nations) 

• 28% of Brazilian women have missed classes due to an inability to afford menstrual hygiene products. This lack of access can lead to students missing up to 45 days of school per year. (Source: Women’s Media Center) 

• On average, a Taiwanese woman spends approximately NT$100,000 (about US$3,200) over her lifetime on menstrual products, representing a significant economic challenge, especially for low-income families (Source: Taipei Times)

• Sanitary products in South Korea are some of the most expensive in the world; a study conducted by the Korean Women’s Environmental Network (KWEN) found that sanitary pads in South Korea were nearly 40 percent more expensive than overseas sanitary napkins (Source: Women’s media center)

• A study revealed that 50% of Argentine women have had to limit their purchase of menstrual products due to financial constraints, and 80% have altered their menstrual hygiene management habits in the past year, often opting for cheaper alternatives or prolonging the use of products (Source: Latinoamerica21)

• In a school survey conducted by Save the Children Philippines, it showed that majority of girls face difficulty of concentrating and participating in their classes when they have their menstrual period. (Source: Save the Children)

  
  

If you would like to join Soroptimists as we continue in our mission to make a difference for women and girls worldwide, you can learn more at this link