Understanding Period Poverty In India: A Comprehensive Study

INTRODUCTION

The first hypothesis is that Period Poverty exists in India. Though there is a plethora of research that has incidentally touched upon the issue and showcased that Period Poverty is prevalent in India. However, there was not even a single well-drafted study, which can show that Period Poverty exists in India. In the research paper titled 'Understanding Period Poverty: Socio-Economic Inequalities in Menstrual Hygiene Management in Eight Low- and Middle-Income Countries', Laura Rossouw and Hana Ross (2021) have showcased that Period Poverty exists in India with the help of empirical data.¹ However, the data was merely restricted to the state of Rajasthan. In this study, the data is collected through the Questionnaire Method, which was circulated to various states of India (as mentioned above in SAMPLE SIZE) so as to cover most of the parts of the country.

Further, another study that takes into account the 'Qualitative Method' is "Period Poverty in context of women on road: A study in New Delhi" by Sasmita Swain and Rituparna Dey (2021).² Though the study was conducted with a prime objective to decipher the Period Poverty prevalent in the roads of Delhi through a Qualitative method in which authors collected data from 30 women on streets and roads and 05 gynaecologists. Only 35 female population was taken into account in the study and discussion and findings were made just based on their opinion, thereby basing on the fact merely on 35 female population, in my opinion, shall be a hasty generalisation. As per the Census 2011, nearly 78 lakhs of the total population are women (inclusive of girls) in Delhi. Although not all 78 lakh women were underprivileged and/or have faced period poverty, yet basing the whole study on merely 35 women is implausible that is likely to put forth some flawed findings.

Thus, this study takes into account the quantifiable data of nearly 117 women/girls and Figure 03 shows that 31.6 per cent (equals to the remaining 37) females who took part in the survey have faced Period Poverty. Thus, the first-ever study on Period Poverty in India, which is done at such a large scale, mentions that Period Poverty exists in India, proving the first hypothesis true.

Economic Wellness and Period Poverty

The second hypothesis is that Economic wellness plays a major role in determining the victims of Period Poverty. If we take both Chart 01 and Figure 02 into account and analyse the data, then we can clearly decipher that in Figure 02, most of the survey takers belong to Upper Middle Class Income Group i.e., 53%, which is equal to 62 individuals having income more than 08 lakhs per annum. The second-highest percentage of survey takers was of Lower Middle Class Income Group i.e., 25.6%, which is equal to 30 individuals. The individuals who took part in the survey and are from Upper Class Income Group and Lower Class Income Group were 18.8% (equal to 22 persons) and 2.6% (equal to 03 persons) respectively. Further, as per Chart 01, 22 individuals hailing from Upper Middle Class Income Group, 10 individuals from Lower Middle Class Income Group, 04 individuals from Upper Class Income Group and 01 individuals from Lower Class Income Group faced Period Poverty.

Thus, analysing the data, in proportion, using formula (individuals who faced Period Poverty/Total individuals who took part in the survey of that concerned Income Group *100) –

Upper Class Income Group – 04/22 *100 = 18.18 per cent of the population of the survey takers belonging to the concerned group.

Upper Middle Class Income Group – 22/62 *100 = 35.48 per cent of the population of the survey takers belonging to the concerned group.

Lower Middle Class Income Group – 10/30 *100 = 33.33 per cent of the population of the survey takers belonging to the concerned group.

Lower Class Income Group – 01/03 *100 = 33.33 per cent of the population of the survey takers belonging to the concerned group.

The data clearly shows that merely 18 per cent of the women/girls have faced Period Poverty that belongs from an Upper Class Income Group having their annual income more than 12 lakhs. However, the other three Income Groups show that they face a considerable Period Poverty, both Lower Class Income Groups even account for 1/3^rd of their population as the ones who have faced Period Poverty, thereby buttressing the belief that Economic Wellness is a major reason behind Period Poverty.

Moreover, other studies (Mani Chander, King's College London, 2021) documented during the time of Covid-19 mentioned that it was primarily female migrant workers that get marginalised and as a result of lockdown, they were even fighting for their survival (for food, water and shelter).³ There neither have any access to toilets nor any menstrual hygiene products while the ones who were residing at their home had access to medical shops, Kirana stores and other places where such products were accessible easily as even during the lockdown, the Government allowed such shops to operate as they sell 'essential commodities'. Moreover, in the rural areas, women were already facing financial constraints, thus it was felt that it would be a sheer wastage of money to waste it in buying sanitary pads and other menstrual products rather than sending it to sustain their lives. Thus, such studies explicitly buttress the hypothesis stated above and prove it to be true that the economic wellness of an individual act as a linchpin in determining the extent of Period Poverty that she is likely to face.

Lack of Awareness and Period Poverty

The third hypothesis is that the Lack of awareness is a major concern that facilitated the Period Poverty. In Indian society, menstruation is treated as a taboo and hardly any conversation is made regarding it, which adversely affects the mental, physical well-being of a girl who just hits puberty at an age of 14-15 years. Moreover, it is well-known to every individual that menstruation is considered impure in India as a result of which the women of household were denied entry into the kitchen, temples, shrines and even kept out of any social and/or religious gathering. These all events are just a mere consequence of the lack of awareness in the people. As per one study reported by BBC India, 71 per cent of adolescent girls are unaware of menstruation until they get it themselves in India.⁴

Moreover, the national Government statistics and reports showcase that out of the 336 million population of menstruating women, merely 36 per cent i.e., 121 million women use sanitary pads.⁵ While others utilise unhygienic clothes, rags, et al. Moreover, a 'Quantifiable Study' conducted by four medical doctors – Rakhi Jain, Puneet Anand, Anuj Dhyani, and Deshant Bansal published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care in 2017 interviewed 282 girls and found out the awareness about Menstruation and HIV/AIDS 'satisfactory' having major scope for improvement.⁶ The girls were studying in 8^th to 12^th standard and got menstruation. Most of the girls interviewed to get to know about the same from their Mother.

This study incidentally touched upon the question of awareness in Question No. 07 of the Questionnaire provided to the survey takers. Question No. 07 was created primarily to analyse the awareness about public policies and welfare schemes in the survey takers about how the Indian Government is taking various steps in order to promote Menstrual Health Management and end Period Poverty. 59 participants out of 117 i.e., 50.4% of the participants mentioned that they are not aware of the scheme launched by the Central Government so as to tackle the issues that arise due to lack of Mental Health Management, while 58 participants i.e., 49.6% were aware of the same (Figure 7). The Central Government launched National Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS) under the 'Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram' in 2014 intending to promote Menstrual Hygiene among adolescent girls and till now the scheme has remained quite successful, after the inception of Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Pariyojna Kendra providing the same. The CHART 2 mentions the number of women/girls who have faced Period Poverty and who are aware of the scheme launched by the Central Government promoting awareness about menstruation. The Chart shows that 54.1 per cent (20 women/girls) of women/girls who have faced period poverty are aware of the fact that the Central Government, so as to disseminate awareness about menstruation and end Period Poverty by promoting Menstruation Health Management, while 45.9 per cent (account for 17 girls/women).

A suo moto action was further taken by the Hon'ble Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in 2020 and a set of directions were issued to the Central Government, Jammu and Kashmir UT Administration, Ladakh UT Administration, and other various respondents. It was stated that the Hon'ble Court is concerned about the difficulties that adolescent females between the ages of 11 to 18 years coming from poor backgrounds came across in receiving education on account of lack of access to education. The Hon'ble Court further stated that these adolescent females are neither equipped with nor educated by the parents about menstruation and menstrual hygiene. The Hon'ble Court noted the issue of Period Poverty prevalent in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and stated, "the deprived economic status and illiteracy leads to the prevalence of unhygienic and unhealthy practices which has serious health consequences; increases obstinacy and leads to eventual dropping out from schools."⁷

The CHART 3 showcases the places where girls/women faced Period Poverty. Schools and/or College tops the list while Public Places such as Hospitals, Parks, Public Toilets, etc. stood second. Thus, the sixth hypothesis also stands true that Authorities fail in providing access to basic menstrual amenities. The authorities should focus on uprooting this concern as the gravity of this matter can be clearly deciphered from a report published by India Today in 2019, which mentioned that no access to menstrual hygiene is the 'fifth-biggest killer of women' in the world.

Footnotes

1 'Understanding Period Poverty: Socio-Economic Inequalities in Menstrual Hygiene Management in Eight Low- and Middle-Income Countries', Laura Rossouw and Hana Ross (2021)

2 "Period Poverty in context of women on road: A study in New Delhi" by Sasmita Swain and Rituparna Dey (2021).

3 Mani Chander, King's College London, 2021.

4 BBC India

5 National Health Family Survey 2015-16.

6 Rakhi Jain, Puneet Anand, Anuj Dhyani, and Deshant Bansal published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care in 2017.

7 Court on its own motion vs. Union of India & Ors.