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Period Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: They Exchange Sex for Sanitary Pads

Ellen, September 2, 2022

What would you do if, as a woman, you couldn't afford sanitary products during your period?

Would you worry about being mocked at school to the point of dropping out?

Would you feel ashamed and suffer immense psychological pressure?

Would you go to any lengths to obtain sanitary products?

Perhaps you've never imagined that in Sub-Saharan Africa, some even need to engage in sex trade to acquire sanitary products.

Exchanging Sex for Unaffordable Menstrual Products

Research shows that only 27% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa have access to basic sanitary facilities. Due to the lack of basic sanitary facilities, it's easy to contract pelvic inflammatory disease and other reproductive diseases during menstruation. In extreme cases, some women are even forced to exchange sex for menstrual products. Moreover, 65% of Kenyan women cannot afford period products, and 30% of girls in the Sub-Saharan African region miss or drop out of school because they can't afford menstrual products.

Indeed, it's not just education; menstrual poverty affects every aspect of women's lives and their environment, from mental and physical health to national economic development...

Clearly, data shows that Sub-Saharan Africa is economically backward, with up to 40% of the population living below the poverty line, and access to water sources and basic sanitation is not guaranteed, let alone female menstrual products.

Image Source 1: The Guardian | Hygiene situation in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa: No clean water sources and basic sanitary environment

In fact, menstrual poverty is not only prevalent in poor countries but also exists in the United States, China, and European countries.

Period Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: "Having Your Period is a Punishment for Doing Something Wrong"

Behind menstrual poverty lies not just economic issues but also social and cultural problems. According to BBC reports, in Madagascar, a country in Southeast Africa, some believe women should not bathe during their period. In fact, the entire concept of menstruation is seen by many as a sign that a woman has done something wrong. It's even said that once a girl starts her period, her brother can slap her — a superstition that women should be punished for menstruating.

In 2019, a report told the story of a 14-year-old Kenyan girl in Kabiria, west of Nairobi, Kenya's capital, who had her first period during class and was mocked by her male teacher, who yelled:

"You're so dirty"

And expelled her from the classroom. The girl took her own life when she got home.

Image Source 2: Thinx | Thus, many spontaneous social movements discuss the topic of menstruation openly, moving it from a taboo subject to a public platform

This is not an isolated case. A study by the international women's organization, a charity for menstrual health, found that 75% of girls in Nairobi's Mathare slums did not know what menstruation was before it came, and they were completely unprepared for it.

At the heart of these conservative and backward views is a lack of education and awareness about women's hygiene and health. This problem cannot be solved by economic development alone and cannot change overnight.

Government Projects vs. Long-term Solutions

In fact, many governments have launched policies to fight menstrual poverty. The Kenyan government initiated a sanitary pad project in 2011, investing $3 million annually to provide free menstrual products in schools, expected to help 4 million Kenyan girls.

Image Source 3: BreakingKenyaNews | Kenyan girls happily holding sanitary pads

Similarly, according to the BBC, in 2017, the Botswana government passed a bill to provide free sanitary pads in all public and private schools.

These school subsidies are a lifeline for many female students in Sub-Saharan Africa. But relying solely on schools is far from enough. Many girls change their menstrual products at home, and special circumstances like pandemics can exacerbate menstrual issues. For example, during the pandemic, with the reduction of social services and educational resources, surveys showed that about 50% of school-age girls in Africa stated they could not access menstrual products due to the pandemic.

In April 2019, South Africa abolished the 15% VAT on sanitary pads and tampons. But as Victoria, the head of the African Development and Empowerment Foundation team, mentioned, "Abolishing VAT on period products is a friendly policy shift, but it won't make these products affordable for everyone without any government or donor support."

Indeed, although many NGOs distribute free sanitary pads, this is not a long-term method. As the founder of one such organization pointed out, "Organizations distributing free sanitary pads always need more funds and donations to sustain this model...Once these funds stop, the project is doomed."

Image Source 4: GlobalGiving | Promise Hill Project, an NGO fundraising for Kenyan women to obtain sanitary pads

Many are looking to reduce production costs. Many involved in producing sanitary pads suggest redesigning for life to cut unnecessary costs, like a former production line manager of a major sanitary pad brand in Nigeria estimated that branding printed on pads adds 15% to the cost, even though the pads "work just fine without it." He noted that many brands deliberately create a premium-looking product to drive up prices.

Perhaps one day, the freedom of sanitary pads will be correctly seen as a basic human right, not a privilege, just like education. Then, perhaps, no woman will have to exchange sex for a sanitary pad again.