Edition #3 - WTF is Period Poverty?
Period Poverty - What is it? What can we do?
I got my first period at age 12, sitting on a cold hard wooden bench in school. Yep! Sweet. I felt like shit. Tried to figure out what’s going on only to be told this is ‘normal’. WTF?
Another relief was that I got pads, managed to put it on (haphazardly), managed to NOT stain my skirt. However, I could barely pay attention to class and ended up missing half of what was taught.
All through the next 14+ years, I’ve had a pad whenever I got my period. I did not have to miss school (unwillingly) because I had my period.
But can I say the same for every person who gets their period?
India
In India, 336 million women do not have access to sanitary pads. Are you fucking serious? Can you imagine the amount of discomfort, unease, loss of opportunities to study, work, earn a livelihood, and more, because of a normal bodily function!
Kenya
This is not just limited to India. In Kenya (one of the most poorest countries in the world) about 65% of women and girls do not have access to pads! They sometimes have to resort to trading sex for pads & tampons. Yep!
UK
More than 137,000 kids missed school in the UK because they could not access pads or tampons. Even the developed world isn’t safe huh!
THIS IS PERIOD POVERTY!
Those belonging to low-income groups CANNOT AFFORD basic period essentials or GET ACCESS to suitable products!
Dude WTF!?
Hey! We live in a capitalist world, so this is okay, right? The HAVEs & the HAVE NOTs!
But, I couldn’t sleep for a few days.
Not because I’m on my period, and in excruciating pain, which I am!
Not because I’m broke, and had to shut down the business in the past for a while, and I’m petrified to restart it, which I am!
But because of this! Something I wrote a few days ago.
We live in a world where I, an educated, yet broke girl, living in a big city, with a safety net around myself, am talking about making money from something like periods.
When at the same time, millions if not billions of girls spend their lives without sanitary essentials or live in period poverty.
I am not guilty of trying to earn money off this because ya girl gotta eat and pay bills. I should be proud of sticking my middle finger at capitalism.
I am actually ashamed because I might even end up making money off this while those in need of period products might live in misery forever!
So hang in there my tribe! Your girl might stick it to capitalists, but your girl got heart. I am in the process of starting an initiative that is very close to my heart. It’s in the works, and I might make it public very, very soon!
Until then, please keep supporting whoever you can, whenever you can.
Special mention to Scotland who, last week, fucking hit a home run by becoming the first country in the world to make period products free for anyone who needs them, anytime!
YES!
YES EIREANN!
Young girls need NOT bunk school!
Women need NOT have to worry about finances!
END. PERIOD. POVERTY.
Smells like a rebellion!
Being someone who gets periods, is evidently not very easy. The least we can do is help make their lives a little better. Those who bleed have been going through periods, and PMS since the beginning of civilization - at least we can try to make this part of their lives a little less miserable.
My PMS Box is a subscription box that reaches your doorstep a week before your periods when you are experiencing peak PMS symptoms.
It includes feminine products of your choice so you dont have to order/go shop, comfort foods to satisfy those cravings, and beauty & self-care products to pamper yourself during the most stressful part of your month.
If you would like to try this for yourself, or for your loved ones, please fill this waitlist form. We launch on 01.01.2021!
The first 10 on the Waitlist will get a quarterly subscription for the price of a monthly box!
We will operate in, and deliver it all over India.
XOXO
Shreya