Water, Women & Period Poverty

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Have you ever stopped and thought about menstrual health? What it means to have, and not have, access to everything needed for healthy menstrual hygiene? This goes beyond period care products - cups, discs, pads, tampons - which many do not have, and those who do have to pay a high price for them. How about clean water? Water to wash. Water to drink. Water to rinse blood stained rags in so they can be used again. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ve probably never even thought about it, but 35% of people who menstruate around the world lack the resources they need for a safe and healthy period. 


Consider this scenario: You wake up, head to the bathroom, and turn on the tap. If water comes out, congratulations! You're among the two-thirds of the global population with access to clean water. Unfortunately, the remaining one-third, over 2.5 billion people, do not have access to this basic human necessity. That’s about 1.25 billion women who lack access to clean water for their basic health needs.

The saying "water is life" is not only true, it is also vital to women's progress. Women and girls often bear the responsibility of fetching water for their families, leaving less time for education, work outside the home, and other activities. Females also face increased risks of sexual assault when using communal or non-existent sanitation facilities. For those who menstruate, these challenges are further hindered by cultural stigmas that label menstruation as unclean and shameful.

Without clean water, period care products, or safe, private latrines, women and girls are forced to resort to unhealthy, and often dangerous, measures during menstruation. The lack of these basic needs and rights creates a gender imbalance where women and girls are unable to participate equally in society. Many girls are unable to attend school, quickly falling behind in their education.

The World Health Organisation links the lack of access to clean water for sanitation and hygiene, to gender inequality and the disempowerment of women in their publication: Water, sanitation and hygiene: measuring gender equality and empowerment. In addition, the United Nations is actively researching and advocating for clean water for female health and well-being through their Sustainable Development Goals, which link water access directly to gender equality. 

At Saalt, we understand the vital connection between access to clean water and women's equality. We believe reusable period care products, such as a menstrual cup or period underwear are a key solution to bridging the hygiene gap.

Our commitment goes beyond products. This Menstrual Hygiene Month marks the fifth anniversary of our partnership with Dreams of the Tropical Youth (DROTY) in Uganda. In 2019, we funded our first latrine at a rural school, where previously the nearest water source was 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away. Saalt has now (as of 2024) financed the construction of four latrines, four hand washing stations, and four incinerators for proper disposal of non-reusable period products.

Saalt also supported the Nigerian non-profit Flo Haven in 2022, helping fund the drilling of a borehole, providing clean water to thousands in the Agege community of Lagos state. These boreholes tap into groundwater, supplying communities with over 4,000 gallons of clean water daily.

Access to clean water is essential to addressing period poverty. At Saalt, we are passionate about continuing our efforts to support period equity and promote access to clean water. For further information on how lack of access to clean water creates gender inequality and period poverty, please check out the following organizations and the amazing work they are doing.

Flo Haven

DROTY

Period.

Menstrual Hygiene Day


Original Source: https://bit.ly/4bAgo2M


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