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“I feel sore down there. You know, I have been wearing the same sanitary pad since dawn, it is all soaked. My options are I could either put it off and bleed on myself or keep it on. I feel cursed with this plague of monthly bleeding” – Anonymous
Period poverty is not a myth. Period poverty is not a tale. It is not a philosophical issue to be debated upon. It is the reality of a considerable number of girls and women in Nigeria.
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What is period poverty?
According to the Medical News Today, people who experience period poverty are unable to purchase the menstrual products they need, and, in many cases, this means that they cannot go to school or work or otherwise participate in daily life.
Nkiru Ezinma, a public health physician says 44% of women and girls in Nigeria are period poor. During this report, sanitary pads cost N500 for a pack of eight. Now as a result of the current inflation rate, it costs N650 or more depending on the brand. The price of period care products are now skyrocketing.
The period fate of girls and women in Nigeria
Girls complain about dedicating a quota of their allowance towards the purchase of sanitary pads. Girls and women with little flow feel thankful that they do not have to spend much on sanitary pads while the ones with heavy flow however feel unlucky.
So many women and girls take to improvising ways to use sanitary pads in ways that are harmful to them. Some women and girls rewash single use pads, some wear a pad for a whole day, others use cotton clothes to collect their menstrual blood.
Girls and women sometimes ration sanitary pads not to suit their period but their pocket. Some of these ways expose them to infections. After attaining puberty, menstruation is inevitable for females. In Nigeria, the cost of living is currently on the high rise as well as the cost of menstruating.
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Some women and girls must have wished that the bloody cup would pass over them. The Nigerian Tribune Newspaper earlier this year reported the story of a school girl who collects sanitary pads on credit just because her mum could not afford it. The cost of things have made some women wish that they lose one of their superpowers – menstruation.
This matter requires steady and sustainable solutions that liberate women from thinking menstruation is a bondage. So what do I bring to the table as practical solutions?
Establishment of period banks in schools, offices and other public enterprises
Doing this will go a long way in helping females who do not have the ability to purchase period care products. Private and public enterprises should devote resources to fund period banks in their parastatals.
Women who get their period in workplaces will have the least of period care package sorted out, that is, sanitary pads. Girls would not spend time worrying about the cost of sanitary pads because the organization they work or school under has taken care of that.
Also, to allow for smooth running of these period banks, a commitment fee, which should be a small token, should be paid by beneficiaries of the period bank especially for working class women. Maybe, a monthly subscription of #100 and a yearly subscription of #1200. School girls and less privileged women can be left out from paying commitment fees.
Paying commitment fees would also allow for proper documentation and build responsible consumption by women and girls who are beneficiaries. Any organization or institution that has period banks would make the public perceive them as being concerned about the menstrual health of women and girls.
Subsidisation of sanitary products by the government
Someone once said that it is not the responsibility of the government to provide free sanitary pads for women and girls. Well, this is right to some extent. But if the government cannot give sanitary pads for free, they may as well reduce the costs of sanitary pads.
Nigeria has worked on a subsidy system in the area of crude oil. Introducing this subsidy system into the sales of sanitary pads will make life easier for women and girls. The government can show their commitment to the health of women and girls by paying a considerable and weighty quota of sanitary pads’ costs.
The government uses taxpayers money to provide suitable living conditions for citizens. Using taxpayers money to reduce the cost of sanitary pads is also improving the well-being of the considerable size of population.
According to the World Bank in 2019, women constitute 45.5 percent of the Nigerian labor force in Nigeria. It will not hurt to give back to the public ( women sector) in a way that concerns them.
Recyclable sanitary products makes the production of new ones cost effective
Most sanitary pads are made out of biodegradable products. This is one controversy about sanitary pads. Some researches have discovered that fibre from banana and cocoa can be used to make sanitary pads. These researches are in alignment to sustainable living among humans.
Most sanitary pads are made out of materials that do not easily decompose or decay. Used sanitary pads most times are burnt by individuals, some girls take to flushing them which sometimes clog the toilets or may end up in the pit as an indecomposable waste.
Sanitary pads should be made out of recyclable products .This way, used pads are ready-made materials for a new set of sanitary pads. People who bring pads for recycling get new ones for a token.
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Period apps should feature savings box plan for sanitary products
There are so many period apps that remind women about their next period date but most do not do what matters the most- financial welfarism. Period apps can incorporate a reminder for women to get their period products.
These period apps can feature a savings box plan for girls to be able to get their period care packages before the due date. Sometimes, ladies do not get period care packages in store until the first day of their monthly period.
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Their period might not come as a shock to them but a shock to their pockets. At that time, they might not be able to afford a proper sanitary pad.
Bulk buying of sanitary pads should be optimal
Sanitary pads should be bought in bulk as it helps save costs. Bulk buying in all purchasing aspects saves costs and also helps consumers get the value of their money. For example, a dual sanitary use pad costs N200 while a pack of 8 costs N700 at an average price.
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If you buy a dual sanitary use pad four times, you would have spent N800 instead of N700. Buying a pack of 8 saves you N100. A sanitary pad pack that contains 25 pieces with extra 5 panty liners costs N1500 at an average price. When you do the math, a sanitary pad of 8 in 3 places gives you 24. That means when you buy a sanitary pad of 8 pieces , you must have spent at least N2100 to get you 24 pieces.
You are at loss of one sanitary pad, five panty liners and the monetary cost of N600. This goes on and on for bigger units of the product. Buying sanitary pads in big sizes helps save costs. If you do not have the purchasing ability as a girl to buy such packs, once, you can share costs with your friends.
Some of the dual sanitary use pads have low retaining quality and they end up being a loss to the buyer of the product. Sanitary products with low retainer for fluid should be banned from being sold in the market. No matter the favorable cost, it still costs the physical, mental and psychological comfort of the consumer of such products.
Reusable sanitary pads is not a healthy option
The notion of reusable sanitary pads may prove unhealthy. That means sanitary pads would have to be rewashed before use. During this process, these pads may come in encounters with different germs and bacteria that cannot be seen.
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Another issue is how the used pads are stripped of the blood it had previously retained. Reusable pads will likely hold blood in some of the fibers hidden. Consumers of such products might not be able to strip the fluids properly.
Also, people may overuse it. Some folks would overwash it till it becomes loose fiber strung together. People are susceptible to ignoring the lifespan of products. Reusable pads may do more harm than good because they are susceptible to abuse by people.
The vagina is very sensitive and it must not be exposed to sanitary products that are likely to bring more harm and good.
What period care packages should include
Period care packages should not only include sanitary pads but also such as pain relievers and green tea should be made available at cheap and affordable prices for proper welfarism of girls and women.
Conclusion
Period poverty in Nigeria can be eliminated gradually. One can say that there is limitation to the statistical data recorded of people who are period poor. It now appears to be that people who were once period rich and now period poor because of the economic decline in Nigeria. But if some of the solutions suggested are adhered to, the rate of period poverty will drastically reduce. Her period,her power!
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