Period Action Day 2022
On October 8th, USAToday published an article with the headline, “On Period Action Day, 1 in 4 struggle to buy menstrual products. 22 states will still tax them.”
The day October 8th, 2022, holds a momentous insignia on the fight toward eradicating period poverty as a whole. This day was officially declared Period Action Day, a day dedicated wholly toward raising awareness for period poverty, which persists worldwide.
According to the Alliance for Period Supplies non-profit, one in four people, for whom menstrual supplies are a necessity, are unable to afford them. Shockingly, over 20 states in the United States still tax menstrual products, considering them non-essential or luxury goods. However, figureheads in the menstrual equity industry have made powerful strides in altering the wrongful status quo that exists in the menstrual health sphere. The national programs director for the global nonprofit Period. has been influential in voicing the concerns of those in need of menstrual supplies, stating that period products are, in fact, a medical necessity and should be given the equivalent importance of food, water, or shelter.
The aforementioned Period Action Day actually partnered with the Women’s March, encouraging community members to participate in marches near them, host period product drives, and educate each other about menstrual equity.
A 2021 study from U by Kotex showed that 2 in 5 people struggle to purchase period products in their lifetime due to financial insecurity, as previously established in the article. Most notably, however, this is a 35% increase from the menstrual hygiene brand’s 2018 research.
The fact of the matter is half of the world’s population menstruates, the majority of whom don’t have access to the basic necessities due to money shortage. However, it is worth mentioning the highly disproportionate racial distribution and socioeconomic impacts of period poverty. Nearly a quarter of Black and Latina Alliance for Period Supplies survey respondents reported their financial struggles in affording period products, respectively. Additionally, one third of low-income women reported difficulty in procuring period supplies and missing events in their daily life because of this barrier. These statistics incite a major call-to-action to target efforts specifically to these minority groups, who suffer on a day-to-day basis and are unable to partake in work-related activities. The inability to go to work further deteriorates the financial situations, incurring a negative feedback loop.
This stigma revolves not only around specific racial demographics but also around impoverished young students, rural populations, single mothers, incarcerated women, and homeless women, according to the article. In fact, the “State of the Period” of the Period. non-profit organization elucidated a quarter of students who menstruate reported a hindered ability to afford period products. This is a 5% increase from that reported in 2019. All in all, this diversity of statistics regarding period poverty indicate the myriad of communities around the country and world that are adversely impacted by this problem. Alongside major non-profit organizations seeking to put an end to period poverty, The Elea Project seeks to put forth its contribution in mobilizing efforts to put an end to period poverty in the Atlanta area, one pad at a time.
To support The Elea Project, please donate at the following link:https://gofund.me/4def413a
Please reach out if you are interested in partnering with the project; deekshakhanna@theeleaproject.org
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