PERIOD POVERTY

WRITTEN BY HANNAH CROUCH

The cost of living crisis: a topic that you may have heard about countless times this year due to its economic relevance. So, what does it mean? People in the UK have been paying a lot more than usual for essentials such as energy, fuel and rent – all elements needed to ‘live’. However, as people are having to spend more money on these items, they have less to spend on other essentials such as sanitary products.

Sanitary products allow people who menstruate to maintain good hygiene and feel empowered during their periods, with products such as tampons making it easier to take part in sports and regular day-to-day activities However, with the cost of living crisis looming over the UK, it is becoming increasingly harder to prioritise sanitary products

As the cost for food and rent goes up, some people are having to choose between eating or buying pads and tampons. Despite the ‘tampon tax’ being abolished in 2021, period products may still remain out of reach for some who are struggling Consequently, many go without sanitary products, making their periods harder to manage and falling into period poverty A YouGov poll from August 2022 concluded that, on average, 15% of all menstruating UK citizens between the ages 18 to 24 may struggle to afford sanitary products in the next 12 months.

Luckily there is hope; multiple supermarkets across the UK have introduced their ‘own brand’ period products to tackle the rising prices For example, Aldi has three different types of pads for 49p a pack and three different types of tampons for 69p a pack available, making sanitary products slightly easier for people to obtain [Figures from Manchester Evening News: March 2022].

Although the support from UK supermarkets is helpful, surely, we shouldn’t be relying on them to solve period poverty? If period products are a ‘need’ they should be accessible for everybody

So, what is the UK government doing to improve the situation? Well, Scotland has been setting a leading example for the rest of the world by being the first country to introduce free sanitary products for anyone who needs them Local councils in Scotland have set up pick-up points in accessible public areas so anyone can reach sanitary products; these points can be tracked through the ‘PickupMyPeriod’ app Although, unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the rest of the UK, there is still some sanitary support available. The UK government currently runs the ‘period product scheme’ meaning that all statemaintained schools, or 16 to 19 education organisations in England can have access to free sanitary products in their place of study. Despite this helpful scheme, it does not cover staff members or anyone outside of education – a massive group in society still without access to free period products

In 2019, Penny Mordaunt (the Minister for Women and Equalities and Secretary of State for International Development) announced that the UK government aims to end global period poverty by 2030 This plan includes the ‘period product scheme’ in England but also the provision of period products in primary schools and secondary schools in Northern Ireland Alongside this, the Welsh government have also pledged £1 million to help tackle period poverty But is this enough? Whilst we fall deeper into the cost of living crisis, the government has failed to take recent action against this issue and people continue to suffer without sanitary products

So how can we help? There are many food banks across the country, and in Leicester, that accept donations of sanitary products, so you can play your part in ending period poverty As well as this, multiple charities have been set up to tackle period poverty, including Freedom4Girls – a women’s charity based in Leeds set up with the mission to provide free period products for those who need it Monetary donations can be made to any of these charities so you can help the movement of ending period poverty Even if you can’t donate, you can still help the cause. Just talking about menstruation supports the idea that periods are not a taboo subject, they are a regular part of life The more we talk, the more normalised it becomes; the more normalised it becomes, the more governments take notice and can create change