Recap 2021
Whilst 2021 saw governments and public institutions at constant odds with easing and tightening restrictions and lockdowns, it was also a year that recorded momentous change for period poverty and menstrual health. From the provision of free sanitary products in Scotland to female teachers in Uttar Pradesh, India, advocating for period leave, the year garnered incredible support, mobilization, and action. Here is a quick recap of the developments in menstrual health in 2021, spanning policy, business, and education from across the globe.
The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill passed in November 2020, officially became an Act that came into effect on January 12 2021. It enforced that schools, and colleges should give students access to free period products in their toilets. It also outlined the Scottish Government’s role of devising a scheme to make period products available to anyone who needs them, free of charge. The Act validated the importance of menstrual health and well-being in society, and pushed the needle from 2020’s momentous removal of the pink tax, which endorsed period products as ‘luxury items’, and not essentials.
Period Positive Homes: In the rural setting of Gadchiroli, a town in Maharashtra, India, menstruating members are banished from their homes, for the duration of their period. Along with the Mukul Madhav Foundation, Navya Nanda, through her initiative, Project Naveli, erected ‘Period Positive Homes’ where menstruating women can go to, instead of huts, that have no proper sanitation, or clean water. Introduced in April 2021, as India was at the grips of the second wave, Period Positive Homes are an effort to challenge the outdated idea, of menstruation and impurity, by hosting women in a clean, hygienic environment, and educating them about their health and well-being. These homes are equipped with sewing machines to enable women to upskill, and empower them to earn their living.
A business model that challenges Tampon Tax: Rock Your Month, a subscription-based period product reseller website aims to defy stigmas around menstruation The founder, JaBett Glen believes that the funds gathered from the levying of Tampon Tax must be funnelled into the system to educate and provide for the same cause of sanitation and menstrual healthcare. Once she realized that this wasn’t the case, she chose to do it with her own business. Rock Your Month, is a company that provides period products for women in the form of subscription boxes, the proceeds of which go towards, providing access to period products to underserved communities around the US, and educating them about period hygiene and well-being. The model allows those who can afford to pay the tax and purchase the subscription box, to support its provision for those who are unable to, thus creating a business model that addresses the fallacies of taxing essential period products.
Period Leave: In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India, the Mahila Shikshak Sangh, a mobilized group of over 200,000 female teachers employed in government schools across the state, have advocated for three days of leave every month, with regard to the physical and emotional burden of periods. It also considers the poor sanitation facilities and toilets in schools available for teachers to use. The campaign is garnering support from across the country and is being recognized by groups from other states, advocating for similar policies and access in view of menstrual health.
2021 was a year that brought to the fore, individuals from across the world who work relentlessly to push the needle and change the rigid notions of menstruation. At Sanitree, we celebrated our fourth year, in 2021, fully equipped with a new, enthusiastic team, with the same vision and gumption, as those from the years before. As we step into 2022, we are excited to achieve, educate and empower, as we bear inspiration from the change and change-makers of 2021.
References:
https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/period-products-free-provision-scotland-bill
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-58110935
https://www.dw.com/en/zomato-spraks-menstruation-debate-in-india/a-55006001