PERIOD POVERTY: WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO SOLVE IT

PERIOD POVERTY: WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO SOLVE IT

It is National Random Acts of Kindnessweek and we encourage all to participate this week, whether the gesture is a big one or various small ones throughout the week, any kind act is welcomed.

What is Period Poverty? 

Period poverty is a real issue globally, as an approximate 1.2 billion women worldwide can’t financially afford basic sanitary hygiene. 

The stats are real and only seem to increase in poverty-stricken areas. Only 12 percent of women in India can afford menstrual hygiene products. While, 50 percent of Kenyan women don’t have access to sanitary pads or sanitation services. However this isn’t just a developing-world issue, closer to home two-thirds of U.S. women go without feminine hygiene products because they can’t afford them, especially young girls and women living below the poverty line. In California alone,, there are over 1 million female students living in poverty who are at risk of missing school due to lack of access to basic feminine hygiene products. 

It is estimated that 1 in 10 young women around the world are unable to afford protection for their period.

Period Poverty affects women and young girls in very severe ways. Many females are shunned from basic activities, such as eating certain foods or socializing, attending school and work. Menstruation is still seen as such a taboo in many places around the world that some cultures still bannish women to huts during their menstrual cycle due to purposeful shortage of sanitation protection. 

After reading all of these disturbing details, do know that Period Poverty is solvable.We have listed below ways you can get involved and help this issue with the act of kindness.

Helping raise awareness of Period Poverty in both developing countries and locally, via outreach programs and through celebrity partnership endorsements, is the first step to ending the crisis.

Menstruation needs to be accepted as a more open discussion topic. It should no longer be treated as a stigma but what it is… A natural, monthly process that women undergo. 

At Veeda, we work with our charity, the Naturalena Foundation, to provide feminine care in life changing ways. To date, we are proud to say that we have donated over 3 million pads, tampons and liners to over 100 different organizations, around 17 countries worldwide. Our mission is to distribute 220 billion pads and tampons worldwide. We are committed to giving women an equal chance at educationand employment opportunities, as well as an overall improved quality of life.

To see all that we do with charitable giving, visit Naturalena Foundation.