I wasn't considered a woman when I was emotionally mature enough to learn when to say 'no'. I wasn't considered a woman when I was the only girl in my computer science class of 27 students. I wasn't considered a woman when I got my first job and learned how to support myself. I was, however, a woman when I got my first period. I was finally a woman.
But for some, this sudden transition into becoming a woman doesn't come as such a pleasant surprise. 500 million menstruating women around the world lack basic access to menstrual products and bathroom facilities during their cycle, according to the World Bank. Without access to these products, women are unable to work, educate themselves, and care for their families. It's a never-ending cycle.
Even those who do have access to hygiene products are faced with paying an extra menstrual product tax in 21 out of 50 states in the US. Not only that, but menstrual products generate more than 200,000 tons of plastic waste per year and take 500-800 years to decompose, according to California State University. Multiple studies have repeatedly found toxic chemicals in feminine hygiene products that can negatively impact a woman's reproductive and vaginal health.
So not only are millions of women across the world left without access to basic hygiene, but even those women who are fortunate enough to have access to period products still have concerns and reasons not to use them.
Sustainable and reusable period products made their breakthrough in the early 2000s. Women could make their own hygiene products with just a cloth and thread - no tax, no chemicals, no plastic waste. Most importantly, women all around the world could complete their menstrual cycle just by alternating between two reusable pads. This would allow girls and women to continue to stay in school, make money, and be caretakers - which makes the biggest difference for struggling families, even though menstrual cycles last for up to a week. Reusable pads are widely accessible and easy to make, which is why they have gained popularity within the past years. Using reusable pads also limits the risk of further damaging vaginal and reproductive health - there are no significant chemicals in cotton and thread, making it a safer alternative. Sustainable products could also alleviate the plastic waste burden on the planet and therefore decrease plastic pollution. Overall, there are many benefits of using reusable hygiene products, whether you have the choice to or not.
You could make a difference! Women across the world implore you to help out. Actions as simple as donating to nonprofits dedicated to ending period poverty, or leading your community and sewing reusable pads to donate could improve so many lives. The greatest change starts with ourselves.
It is not a menstrual cycle that makes a woman, but rather it is what we decide to do with it. We cannot empower women without giving them the basic resources to thrive without worrying about what time of the month it is. Be the difference. You could change two lives today just by picking up a reusable period product for yourself and for someone in need of one.
Written by: Nadia Lach-Hab
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