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PERIOD POVERTY
My father is a strong believer of the holy trinity and says that the combination of the three are crucial to making the world a better place. But the holy trinity in this case is women and children’s health, nutrition, and education. In order for a society to be
successful, you need to invest in women. Without taking care of their health, it makes it difficult for them to even get to school. As put by The Pad Project, a period should end a sentence, not a girl's education.
Period Poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products because of financial
constraint. The taboo surrounding this menstruation and lack of access to sanitary products in developing countries isolates and shames women for their natural
bodies. Because there is limited health education on this topic, women are not provided with the proper tools to handle their period and many girls end up missing
at least 20% of the school year or end up dropping out all together (Femme International). In India, it is common for girls in villages to only study until they are in middle school and get their period. It becomes very challenging after that. Without
sanitary products girls cannot change their clothes in the middle of the day. They use cloth instead of absorbent disposable products. Men taunt girls for having to
change in the middle of the day, and the combination of discomfort and
embarrassment drives women away from school. Without access to education, these women cannot advance into developed careers and as a result they stay in domestic roles. Without financial independence they often turn to marriage, and this cycle of oppression continues.
Many countries discuss the issues of girls dropping out of school due to their
periods. The Oscar-winning documentary, Period. End of Sentence (2018), showcases Indian women fighting the stigma surrounding menstruation and begin manufacturing sanitary pads. A man in India named Arunachalam Muruganatham
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