The Availability of Menstrual Products
Menstruation is something that almost all women have to experience and it can be hard to control. Those who have a menstrual cycle don't get to choose whether or not they get to have it. Why is it so hard for women to have equal access to feminine products when it's something they can't control?
There are almost 22 million women in the world who cannot afford menstrual hygiene products. Feminine products can range from ten to almost twenty dollars for just a box of pads or tampons. Due to the price range of feminine products, there are women out there who have to use toilet paper instead. Food stamps that help with groceries and food do not pay for menstrual products. Similar problems exist with baby products. Just diapers and formula can cost up to thirty dollars, just to take care of one child. The prices for feminine necessities are increasing by the year, along with the availability for these products in some public places, thanks to new legislation and programs.
Just a few years ago, it was mandated for schools to provide menstrual products for girls. In just under 15 states, it is required for feminine products to be provided in jails. Periods are seen as something that should be hidden by people who menstruate. In low income school areas, California provided menstrual products in all female bathrooms in 2017. This made an impact in several schools across California, since it made menstrual products available to a lot of teenagers who could not afford them otherwise.
It's important for schools to realize that menstruation is not a choice. Thankfully, feminine products are becoming more available worldwide for people who menstruate, which means that the issue that was once in place, has now rapidly decreased throughout the years. Even if some students have to pay twenty five cents to get a product, it's better than having no product at all. Period poverty is still an issue, but it's better than it has ever been before. Despite all of the inequality in access to menstrual products, schools and public places are now starting to offer them for people who menstruate.
