After carrying out my brainstorming, I came to the decision to create my infographic on Period Poverty. I felt this is a topic that the majority of people maybe aren’t aware of or don’t realise how severe it can be in some cases. I felt it would be an opportunity to create effective visuals with illustrations and statistics and create a cohesive design. Below I have attached a pdf of all the research I carried out into Period Poverty.
After this, I planned out the main areas of information I wanted to include and pulled out the key facts, so when it came to designing my infographic and placing the information it would be a simpler process.
Title: Not a Luxury. Period.
Definition:
‘Period Poverty’ affects women, girls and people who menstruate all over the world. It means being unable to access sanitary products or having a poor knowledge of menstruation often due to financial constraints. Is it essential to have access to menstrual products, safe, hygienic spaces in which to use them and the right to manage menstruation without shame or stigma.
What they should have:
- Access to information about menstruation, life changes and hygiene practices
- The ability to care for themselves during menstruation
- Access to water, sanitation and hygiene services
- The ability to receive a diagnosis for menstrual cycle disorders and access to healthcare
- A positive, supportive environment in which to make informed decisions
- The ability to participate in all aspects of life, such as going to work and school
Reasons for it:
Only around 49% of girls aged 14-18 in England and Scotland said free period products have been provided in schools and colleges.
Until January 2021, the UK government considered sanitary products a ‘luxury item’ and taxed them. Sexist and out of touch ‘pink tax’. Sanitary products were declared as nonessential items. The ‘pink tax’ is a price discrepancy where feminine hygiene products cost more than identical products marketed towards men. “In Utah, period products are taxed as a luxury item, but condoms aren’t taxed”
Specific Locations:
UK-
More than a third (36%) of girls aged 14-21 in the UK have struggled to afford or access period products during the Coronavirus pandemic, that is equivalent to over one million girls in the UK. Half of these girls did not have enough money to buy period products. Three quarters (73%) of those had to use toilet paper as an alternative to period products like pads. Some of those who found it difficult to afford period products but were able to buy them, some girls said they had to cut back on other essential items like food (30%), hygiene products like soap or toothpaste (23%) and clothing (39%).
UK found that 49 per cent of girls have missed an entire day of school because of their period. 59 per cent of these girls have made up a lie or an alternative excuse to avoid going to school. Over the course of a year, 137,700 children in the UK miss school because of period poverty.
This stigma surrounding periods has been shown to directly affect a child’s potential to succeed. Studies conclude that the knowledge of effective treatments for period pain is low and girls with period pain experience reduced classroom performance and a lower level of class attendance.
Split countries with big fact of: 500 millionTrusted Source
people who menstruate lack access to menstrual products and hygiene facilities.
US-
There are an estimated 16.9 million people who menstruate living in poverty in the United States. College-aged individuals who menstruate reported that 14.2% had experienced period poverty in the past year. An additional 10.0% experienced it every month.
Two-thirds of women in the U.S. with a low income could not afford menstrual products in the last year, while nearly half sometimes had to choose between buying food or menstrual products. 35 states out of 52 in the U.S. taxed menstrual products at rates between 4.7%, in Hawaii, and 9.9%, in Louisiana.
If a woman was to use one tampon every six hours and four tampons are used every day, that would equal to 20 tampons for every five-day menstrual cycle, totalling to 9,120 tampons in their life. If a box of tampons cost $7 and there are 36 tampons in one box, the cost for a lifetime would equal to $1,733.33.
With panty liners, an estimated average would be $433.33 per lifetime.
PAKISTAN-
Pakistan, a country in South Asia, has the world’s fifth-largest population and has a long history of period poverty. Periods are shameful in Pakistan. A large part of the problem exists as a result of the many taboos that surround menstruation.
Pakistan’s culture as related to periods has prevented the population from educating women on menstruation and proper hygiene. As such, period poverty in Pakistan extends beyond just the financial discrepancies that hinder women from having access to proper menstrual products and extends into a “social period poverty” wherein women are deprived of education about menstruation.
49% of young women in Pakistan have little to no knowledge of periods before their first period. Likely, more than 20% of young women will only learn about menstruation in schools.
Many women use rags and share these rags and menstrual clothes with other family members.
1/2 use toilet roll as an alternative
ALTERNATIVES-
Newspaper
Cotton wool
Sock
Toilet roll
Make up pads
Torn up nappies
Old rags
Plastic bags
EFFECTS-
Mental health & wellbeing:
Being unable to manage their period with the appropriate menstrual products can make people feel upset, distressed, and uncomfortable. Research has found that a lack of access to these products can negatively affect someone’s mental health. 68.1% of participants who experienced period poverty had symptoms of moderate-to-severe depression.
Health & Hygiene:
People unable to access menstrual products using rags, toilet paper, and children’s diapers. Some people have also used the menstrual products they did have for longer than intended. sing these alternative products puts individuals at higher risk of urogenital infections, which are infections of the urinary and genital systems. These infections include urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis.
Using products longer than intended can also be dangerous. Leaving a tampon in for too long can increase a person’s risk of toxic shock syndrome, a rare but dangerous infection.
Work:
Period poverty can prevent people from participating in the workforce, which can have significant economic implications for them and their families. A study in Bangladesh showed that 73% of women missed work for an average of 6 days a month.
Education:
People who menstruate can have a negative experience of school or college if they are uncomfortable, distracted, or unable to participate due to menstrual leakage and odor. Poor school attendance affects a person’s future earning potential, self-esteem, health outcomes, and sense of control.
ACTIVISTS/FIGHT AGAINST
