I’VE always wondered what happens to destitute women when they’re menstruating. I’ve always wondered how safe the “old cloth” method is for girls in rural communities in Guyana. I’ve wondered what happens to women who earn enough money to purchase food and shelter only—how do they prioritise their cash to purchase overpriced sanitary products? The first Sustainable Development Goal for the year 2030 is to end world poverty; yet, I don’t see much progress towards having conversations and solutions around “Period Poverty.” In hindsight, the idea should be to help eliminate all forms of poverty. To some people, the concept of “Period Poverty” is not as important as other categorised areas of poverty and as such, it is left unchecked during certain discussions. Period Poverty is not secluded to one specific set of women, girls or people who menstruate—it’s a global crisis.

People born with female anatomy have been experiencing a menstrual cycle from the dawn of time itself. It is not a new or foreign concept, yet sometimes even in the 21st century we pretend as if it is. One would expect such an old, reccurring health cycle to have better services, products or ideologies surrounding it. Unfortunately, that is not always the reality for many menstruating human beings. For some, there’s a lack of sanitary products available to them. Due to existing economic constraints, these said products may be expensive. This can also lead to women and girls using unsafe or hazardous products and methods to collect their menstruation.

Even when these products are available in certain parts of the world, they may be limited. This can force the users to use said products for a prolonged period, leading to an increased chance of developing an infection. In some countries, there aren’t proper toilets or lavatory facilities for women and girls who are menstruating. In some schools or work environments, the toilets may be absolutely disgusting and pose a health threat to those who use them. Period poverty is also an umbrella term covering the stigma and lack of education surrounding the menstrual cycle. In some communities or cultures, having one’s menstruation may be deemed as “impure” or “dirty”. This evidently creates a stigma that surrounds the menstrual cycle and can force women and girls into isolation when they’re menstruating.

In some African countries, some girls stay at home from school at least 20% of the time, out of the entire school year due to their menstrual cycle. I’ve seen a few initiatives across Guyana, including the recent Menstrual Health Expo, the free distribution of sanitary products in schools, and multiple private “Period Drives” done by small businesses and NGOs. I see you and I applaud you. In the same breath, I’m still hoping that others follow suit and take a stance through similar actions. It’s imperative that we disseminate and share as much information on safe methods of collection menstruation as well as the biological aspect of what happens during one’s cycle—while simultaneously breaking cultural barriers that prevent girls and women from having better access to education and products. Young girls should be able to know that there is a difference between your period/cycle and your menstruation. They should be able to access clean facilities with running water to change their products if needed. They should be able to express themselves about their menstrual cycle without a frown or derogatory comment.