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Why Menstrual Hygiene Education and Supplies Should be Free in
Developing Countries
A term that is becoming increasingly popular and important is ‘period poverty’. Period
poverty means that there is an absence of menstrual hygiene and sexual health education,
including a taboo surrounding menstruation, and that some people are unable to afford
menstrual hygiene products, with some supplies even being unavailable (UNFPA, 2020).
According to Human Rights Watch, women in developing countries face various challenges
regarding menstruation. Some of these challenges stand in the way of basic human rights,
such as hygiene pads and sanitary supplies being unavailable or unaffordable, and the lack
of access to sanitary facilities with clean water. Moreover, some women are even being
shamed for having their menstruation, which makes it impossible for these women to
manage their menstruation in a private and dignified manner (Human Rights Watch, 2017).
Therefore, menstrual hygiene education and supplies should be free in developing
countries, because it can increase the social productivity of women, and reduce urogenital
health risks for women by encouraging hygienic menstrual practices.
Firstly, free menstrual hygiene education can enhance the productivity of women in society
by providing Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) courses. According to The World
Bank, MHM and human capital are intertwined (The World Bank Group, 2019). Human
capital refers to the knowledge and skills that people accumulate throughout their lives that
enable them to reach their potential as productive members of society (The World Bank
Group, 2021). Additionally, The World Bank states that investing in people through factors,
such as quality education and health care, helps them develop human capital, which is key
to ending poverty (The World Bank Group, 2021). This means that, by providing MHM
courses, women in developing countries will be better informed regarding their menstrual
health and will not have to miss out on education. In turn, their human capital will increase,
and therefore is a step forward in lifting their society out of poverty. Furthermore, a case
study done in India, concerning the perception of students on menstruation, showed that
there is a low level of menstruation knowledge of adolescent schoolgirls, and that most
were also influenced by societal myths and taboos regarding menstrual practices (Chothe, et
Why Menstrual Hygiene Education and Supplies Should be Free in
Developing Countries
A term that is becoming increasingly popular and important is ‘period poverty’. Period
poverty means that there is an absence of menstrual hygiene and sexual health education,
including a taboo surrounding menstruation, and that some people are unable to afford
menstrual hygiene products, with some supplies even being unavailable (UNFPA, 2020).
According to Human Rights Watch, women in developing countries face various challenges
regarding menstruation. Some of these challenges stand in the way of basic human rights,
such as hygiene pads and sanitary supplies being unavailable or unaffordable, and the lack
of access to sanitary facilities with clean water. Moreover, some women are even being
shamed for having their menstruation, which makes it impossible for these women to
manage their menstruation in a private and dignified manner (Human Rights Watch, 2017).
Therefore, menstrual hygiene education and supplies should be free in developing
countries, because it can increase the social productivity of women, and reduce urogenital
health risks for women by encouraging hygienic menstrual practices.
Firstly, free menstrual hygiene education can enhance the productivity of women in society
by providing Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) courses. According to The World
Bank, MHM and human capital are intertwined (The World Bank Group, 2019). Human
capital refers to the knowledge and skills that people accumulate throughout their lives that
enable them to reach their potential as productive members of society (The World Bank
Group, 2021). Additionally, The World Bank states that investing in people through factors,
such as quality education and health care, helps them develop human capital, which is key
to ending poverty (The World Bank Group, 2021). This means that, by providing MHM
courses, women in developing countries will be better informed regarding their menstrual
health and will not have to miss out on education. In turn, their human capital will increase,
and therefore is a step forward in lifting their society out of poverty. Furthermore, a case
study done in India, concerning the perception of students on menstruation, showed that
there is a low level of menstruation knowledge of adolescent schoolgirls, and that most
were also influenced by societal myths and taboos regarding menstrual practices (Chothe, et
