Ending Period Poverty
In Ending Period Poverty, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the issue of women and girls who lack access to affordable, clean, and safe menstrual products. This video explores how this issue impacts young women, particularly in lower-income communities, where the inability to afford menstruation products can cause them to miss school and social activities. It also addresses the stigma and shame surrounding menstruation, which exacerbates the challenge of accessing necessary products. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
Lesson Express
Q: Why don’t all people around the world have equal access to menstrual products?
A: Factors like poverty, social stigma, lack of education about menstruation, and insufficient access to health care resources contribute to period poverty.
Q: How do the challenges of period poverty affect women and girls in their daily lives?
A: Period poverty can have an impact on health, education, and emotional well-being, such as missing school, facing shame or humiliation, and enduring health risks due to the lack of clean products.
Q: What can be done in your community or at your school to help provide access to menstrual products?
A: Student responses will vary. Students might brainstorm local solutions such as fundraising, working with organizations, or advocating for free menstrual products in schools, public spaces, and shelters.