What is Period Equity? And why does it matter?
It happens to a lot of menstruating women: you go about your daily routine until you discover you've just gotten your period. You feel frightened, vulnerable, and exposed after the clumsy search for a restroom and the ardent hope that you had a menstruation product with you. This is exacerbated by the fact that our society stigmatizes menstruation — or, for that matter, anything having to do with the uterus — and these topics are forbidden. If you're one of the almost 22 million women in the United States living in poverty because they can't afford menstrual hygiene supplies, you're experiencing period poverty. According to a study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 64% of women have had trouble purchasing period items like pads, tampons, or reusable goods like menstrual cups. And 21% said they couldn't afford to buy these items on a monthly basis. People who are homeless or incarcerated are more likely to lack proper menstrual hygiene supplies. Why is it ...