Period Poverty is a national and global stain. So why are we still silent?

Imagine missing school or work because you cannot afford a tampon or a menstrual pad. Imagine bleeding into newspaper or rags because there’s nothing else to use when your period arrives. Now imagine doing this while living in a like Gaza — under constant bombardment, in a freezing tent, without clean underwear, soap, water, or access to a toilet.

This is period poverty, the lack of access by women and girls to menstrual products, sanitation facilities, and supportive healthcare and education. It’s a public health crisis, a gender equality issue, and a violation of human rights. And in 2025, it remains a shameful reality for millions of women and girls worldwide.

According to UNICEF and the WHO, more than 500 million women and girls globally lack adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management. An estimated one in four women and girls face challenges managing their periods safely and with dignity.

In low-income countries, 1 in 10 girls may miss school during menstruation, leading to up to 20% of the academic year lost. In sub-Saharan Africa, studies show that girls can miss 4–5 days of school per month, while in India, nearly 20% of girls drop out of school altogether after reaching puberty, due to a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products and supportive environments.

But period poverty doesn’t just exist in developing countries or conflict zones.

It exists here, in Ireland. A 2018 Plan International Ireland report found that 50% of girls aged 12–19 in Ireland had experienced some form of period poverty. One in ten had been unable to afford menstrual products at least once. It’s staggering that in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, so many girls and women are denied access to something as basic and essential as menstrual care.

Period poverty is not only about products. It is about power, exclusion, and shame. When girls and women are forced to use unhygienic alternatives, such as rags, paper, socks, leaves, or even cow dung, the consequences can be dangerous with the risk of infections, reproductive health complications, and emotional trauma. On top of that, menstrual taboos still persist in many countries, where periods are framed as unclean or sinful, further isolating women and girls and undermining their dignity.

In Gaza, the crisis has reached a catastrophic level.

With a 12-week aid blockade, over 540,000 women and girls of reproductive age lack access to basic menstrual products, clean water, and sanitation. According to UN Women, 10 million disposable menstrual pads are needed every month in Gaza alone. Many women are resorting to cloth scraps or sponges or pieces of tents and shelters. Anything they can find.

Israa, a 20-year-old woman living in a displaced camp in Deir Al Balah, and who is supported by ActionAid Ireland partners, recently described her monthly ordeal:

“It’s difficult to live and maintain your hygiene in a tent. It’s almost summer now. Back home, we could shower a few times a day. Nowadays, we can barely wash our hair once a week. A pack of pads costs 15–17 shekels — that’s about €3.40. Who can afford that every month? I try to make one pack last for two cycles.”

“Some people are using alternatives to pads. I don’t use pads like before. I try not to waste any and keep them for as long as possible.”

Period poverty is exacerbated by humanitarian crises, but it is preventable.

A 2021 Scottish study found that providing free menstrual products in public places costs just €9.54 per person per year and it became the first country in the world to make period products freely available by law, a model of leadership that others should follow.

In Ireland, the Government made a welcome commitment to tackle period poverty in its 2020 Programme for Government. Yet five years on, a very similar promise has had to be restated in the 2025 Programme, highlighting a worrying lack of progress. While steps have been taken, including the formation of an Inter-Departmental Group in 2023 and some pilot initiatives, the absence of consistent, nationwide provision raises serious questions about the Government’s urgency and commitment to this issue.

In 2025, no woman or girl should be left behind because of her period. No one should bleed in shame, pain, or silence.

There are actions that can be taken that can help tackle period poverty both at home and abroad.

First there should be free, universal access to menstrual products in schools, public buildings, and emergency shelters.

Comprehensive menstrual education in schools to end stigma, normalise conversations, and empower all genders to understand menstruation is also vital, and there needs to be policy changes to ensure menstrual health is integrated into public health and development planning.

Dignity or hygiene kits and menstrual health supplies should be a core component of all humanitarian aid responses, including from Irish Aid, who should also provide support for local women-led organisations who are already doing this work on the ground.

Action on period poverty must be taken. It’s time to stop whispering about menstruation.