How would you deal with your period if you had no pads, tampons or menstrual cups available?

That Is The Reality For Menstruators Around The World

For millions of people globally basic sanitary products are out of reach due to affordability, access and/or education.

Periods Are Keeping Menstruators Out Of School. A lack of proper sanitary products and adequate facilities keeps millions of people out of school during menstruation. Some leave school completely after puberty.

Dropping outputs menstruators at an increased risk for early marriage, violence and forced sexual relations. Sources: UNICEF, UNESCO, Plan-UK.Org

In Kenya, 50% of school-aged girls do not have access to sanitary pads. In Nepal and Afghanistan, 30% of girls report missing school during their periods.

In India, 20% of girls drop out of school completely after puberty. 1 in 5 American girls have either left school early or missed it entirely because they didn’t have access to sanitary products. Sources: UNICEF, UNESCO, Her-Turn.org

Even with access to sanitary products, menstruators in countries like Nepal and Kenya often do not have a safe or clean place to change or wash them.

Bathrooms without gender segregation or locks on the doors pose a safety threat and give no privacy. Teasing and harassment from peers are among the reasons why many menstruators drop out. Sources: Plan International, wsscc.org

1 in 10 girls in the UK have been unable to afford sanitary products. 65% of women in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya have traded sex for sanitary pads.

On average, British women spend over £18,000 ($24,000) on their periods in their lifetime. Sources: Always Confidence and Puberty Study, Plan-UK.Org, HuffingtonPost.co.uk, UNICEF

Affordability Is A Huge Issue

While some US states and countries are making sanitary products free in schools and universities, there is a huge amount of work to be done in multiple areas to make sure every person who menstruates has adequate access to information, products and hygienic facilities. Sources: Plan International, Always Confidence and Puberty Study, UNICEF

Want To Help And Learn More? The Academy Award-winning short film P"eriod. End of Sentence." is now streaming on Netflix and follows women in Hapur, India as they learn to make pads and educate other men and women in their community about menstruation.

Check out ThePadProject.org to learn more about the non-profit created by the documentary team to help install more pad making machines in rural areas, which help supply pads and create jobs for women.

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