Gruesome Reality of Period Poverty in India

It was 8:00 am on a Monday and I was already late for class. While I was busy getting dressed, I was stopped by Anita, our house help. Hesitantly she mumbles, ”Didi, can you lend me one of those napkins you use during your time of the month?” I remove a packet from my cupboard and hand it over to her without a second thought. Later that evening, Maa mentions that Anita has been admitted to the hospital for a severe case of vaginal infection. 

My pack of sanitary napkins was too late an intervention to help her case. India is home to over 355 million women, but less than 12% of them have access to sanitary hygiene products. Millions of women like Anita suffer every day from 'period poverty' – a lack of access to menstrual education and sanitary products. The main reason stated for this is low-income levels, coupled with strong taboos associated with conversations about menstruation. From our place of privilege, it can sometimes be difficult to imagine just how gruesome the situation is. 

Most women are found using old rags and scraps of cloth as makeshift pads. These are often reused, and cannot be sun-dried as they are considered "impure". Other common substitutes include old socks filled with sand, underwear filled with ash, soil, and old newspaper to absorb the flow. These alternatives are a breeding ground for bacteria that lead to a high risk of diseases like Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), Yeast infections, increased risks of reproductive disorders and cervical cancer. The pressing question here is, why do women resort to such suffering? The answer lies in plain sight- they do not have an alternative. In India, the cost of sanitary napkins ranges from Rs 150-300 while a woman has to manage an entire household on less than Rs. 33 a day. Between suffering an infection and watching her family writher in hunger for days, women are forced to choose the former. 

Compounding this miserable binary are the innumerable myths and deeply embedded superstitions surrounding a menstruating woman. Many still believe that if one consumes food cooked by a woman on her period, they shall be reincarnated as an ox in their next life, while others view periods as a sign of women having studied enough. Some even view the natural cycle as God’s curse on women. Low levels of awareness among the rural poor, coupled with religious restrictions transform these myths into absolute truths in Indian society. A nexus of these factors form a vicious cycle where women are subjected to harassment each month as they are exiled from their homes and forced to live in isolation. Furthermore, they are denied their right to healthcare, education, and entry into places of worship. Young women are may be forced into child marriage, suffer from sexual assault, and rape. 

In India, it is considered acceptable to die because you have no access to a pack of pads. 

What can you do to help address this issue?

Phoenix Pads has come up with the #ForYouForHer campaign where for each pack you buy from us, we donate one pack of sanitary napkins to an underprivileged girl. The pack also contains a complimentary pH testing kit that helps one check their vaginal pH levels and mitigate any threat of infection before it is too late.

This Women’s Day, choose Phoenix and change a life.

To buy: https://phoenixpads.in/