The Science Behind the Happiness of Volunteering

An Intersectional Approach to Tackling Menstrual Equity

[Photo credit: Sarah Webb] The idea of a woman using unsanitary materials like rags, leaves and cardboard during her monthly cycle may seem unfathomable, but it’s reality for many around the world. In addition, at least 500 million girls and women lack adequate facilities for menstrual health management, according to a 2015 report from UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). Others are sexually exploited in exchange for menstrual care supplies. And the rest use nothing — remaining isolated and stigmatized, perpetuating this devastating cycle for the next generation. This makes the role of impact-driven philanthropists more important than ever. Those who want to see measurable progress on a range of worthwhile causes -- education, the environment, global health, homelessness, women and girls, and income inequality -- should consider the common denominator. The menstrual equity gap. When a woman lacks access to affordable menstrual care solutions — and accurate health education about their bodies — the repercussions for her family, community, and country are staggering. UNESCO estimates that 10 percent of girls in Sub-Saharan Africa miss up to 20 percent of the school year due to their menstrual cycle. In rural western Nepal, girls are sent to live in small, isolated sheds while menstruating — a custom that has led to dozens of deaths in recent years, The New York Times reports. In India, 23 percent percent of girls drop out of school because they lack access to toilets and sanitary pads. In the United States, sales tax on feminine hygiene products and inadequate supplies in homeless shelters, prisons, and schools disproportionately burdens low-income women and girls.