Growing up, it was common for girls in school to ‘borrow’ sanitary pads from each other whenever it was that time of the month.
Borrow, because sometimes, ‘Aunt Flow’ may decide to make a surprise visit. And if you didn’t have a back-up, you’d go to your friend, or a friend of a friend, or any friend in school for help. There were also those who ‘borrowed’ because they could not afford to purchase the item.
While the prices of sanitary pads have not increased drastically over the years, ‘period poverty’, especially among families from lower income groups, is still a problem.
As teenage girls, we are told that we should replace a sanitary pad every four to six hours. The general rule is to replace it more often if it’s a heavy flow day.
For some, being able to purchase sanitary pads is in itself, a luxury. For the uninitiated, a woman’s period can last anywhere between three and seven days.
While you can purchase a packet of eight pads for as low as RM4 these days, it usually would last for only two days. One would have to get three packets at least, to ‘survive’ for five days, on the assumption that four to six pads are used in a day.
RM12 may seem like a small amount for some, but purchasing sanitary pads can cost up to RM36 a month (in a household where there is a mother and two teenage girls).
That can add up, especially in homes where there is only one breadwinner earning only RM1,000 a month.
This, in a nutshell, is what ‘period poverty’ is all about.
Due to the inability to purchase these basic personal hygiene products, young girls especially, tend to skip school or shy away from engaging in activities, including sports, when they have their menses.
Why?
So that their uniforms would not be stained, or so they won’t leave a trail of blood on the floor. For a teen, coming to terms with how her body works, can be daunting.
Last month, the Selangor government announced it had allocated RM200,000 from its 2023 Budget to address period poverty. This includes carrying out awareness campaigns on the subject.
While the move is lauded, one wonders how much can be achieved with only RM200,000.
Selangor, being the first state to introduce such a programme, should have at least allocated RM1 million to show it was committed to addressing and eradicating period poverty in the state.
In 2021, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry revealed that 13.1 per cent of teenagers and women from the B40 group in Kuala Lumpur could not afford to buy sanitary pads.
The pilot study involved teenagers and women aged 13 to 24 in 13 People’s Housing Project communities.
Surely, the problem happens in other states.
Simple maths would show that a woman would require a minimum of RM140 to RM150 a year for sanitary napkins.
As such, if RM200,000 is allocated purely for the purchase of sanitary napkins, this would mean that the programme would only benefit 1,300 women in the state. Surely, there are more who need help.
Selangor is among the richest states in the country. It tabled a RM2.45 billion budget for 2023.
As a woman, I feel that the state has lost a golden opportunity to make a bold statement and show that it valued and prioritised the basic needs of women, including teenage girls.
During period education in schools, the girls are separated from the boys. It is the girls who are taught about menstruation and what to expect when it happens. It is also the girls who are given a free sanitary napkin to sample.
It’s 2022. Dealing with menses should no longer just be a girl’s, or a women’s issue.
The lack of awareness and understanding on the implication of women not having access to sanitary pads must no longer be swept under the carpet.
In addressing period poverty, it is best for those in power to do things correctly, rather than to make statements for the sake of ticking it off on their to-do-list.
