Menstrual health is an enabler for sexual and reproductive health and rights
(Image by CNS) Details DMCA
Menstruation - or period - is a natural and healthy biological process. Every month, more than two billion people around the world menstruate. But out of these, 500 million people experience period poverty every month - that is, they are unable to afford and access menstrual products, sanitation and hygiene facilities and education and awareness to manage their menstrual health. This interrupts their lives, rights, and freedoms, forcing individuals to miss school or work, compromise their health, and endure stigma simply because they menstruate.
Period-friendly world
This should not be so. We want a "period-friendly world" where menstruation is accepted as a normal, healthy biological process rather than something to hide or be ashamed of. It is a fundamental human right that no one is held back because they menstruate.
However, we are living through a poly-crisis - a period defined by the simultaneous and overlapping pressures of inflation, manmade as well as climate-induced disasters, and systemic poverty, alongside deep-rooted cultural stigmas.
This poly-crisis has shifted menstrual hygiene from a basic healthcare right to a financial trade-off, with families increasingly forced to prioritise food and fuel over menstrual products.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
