Think of poor women, girls

Open letter to Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi

Dear Minister, I’m writing to you with grave concerns on the 75th budget presented to parliament recently and its lack of gender sensitivity, especially that related to women’s health. I believe I stand with the majority of women of Sri Lanka, when raising the issues of period poverty faced by women and girls. Inadequate access to menstrual hygiene and education, or referred to as period poverty, is an issue equally affecting women, in across both rural and urban settings. Over 30% of the population consists of menstruating women, therefore, a woman’s ability to access feminine hygiene products shouldn’t be hindered by the government.

Inaccessibility to low-cost feminine hygiene products, lack of infrastructure to address these specific needs, and unavailability of effective educational tools to teach menstrual hygiene, are some of the major issues women and girls deal with on a regular basis in relation to period poverty in Sri Lanka. The lack of proper Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) facilities within school premises, workplaces and general public, act as a strong deterrent for women and girls to engage in normal daily activities, including going to school or work during their period. Such deterrents include inability to afford proper sanitary napkins, the lack of facilities to dispose sanitary pads, privacy to wash and change feminine hygiene products.

Due to the lack of these very basic requirements, absenteeism is almost normalised within schools and workplaces amongst women and girls during periods of menstruation. This is especially evident during schools’ annual sportsmeet season, and when students have extracurricular activities such as tuition or other activities after school hours. The lack of basic WaSH facilities forces many girls to opt not to participate, rather than risk an uncomfortable situation. All these issues are not just women’s issues but health-related issues, if they aren’t addressed and dealt with timely.

On average a girl uses between 12-15 pads for a cycle of 4-5 days, using between 3-4 pads a day every month—approximately 1.5 packets of sanitary pads per menstrual cycle. A household with three female members of reproductive age may use up to 4-5 packets a month, costing them on average LKR. 500-625 (LKR. 125 per packet). In a low-income family, when given the choice, they would always opt to prioritise buying rations over feminine hygiene products. Or, in the case they do buy sanitary pads, it may not be enough causing female members to wear the same napkin longer due to its scarcity. Which makes them vulnerable to health and reproductive health issues.

A study conducted in 2018 by Oxfam in Ambagamuwa, Hatton revealed that 70% of women and girls use disposable sanitary pads throughout their menstrual cycle. While this figure indicated may show the shift in behaviour of girls opting to use disposable sanitary pads instead of cloth, this may be hindered if unaffordability makes it inaccessible. Even worse, this inaccessibility may cause more serious health issues, as women and girls may opt to wear the same sanitary pad for a prolonged period exposing them to other health issues.

Poor sanitary hygiene increases the bacterial flora in the genital area predisposing them to bacterial vaginosis, fungal infections and even urinary tract infections. Lack of menstrual hygiene has also been identified as a risk factor for developing cervical cancer, especially when women and girls do not have access to sanitary napkins they depend on unhygienic replacements such as old cloth. Therefore, the health cost related to period poverty is as important as the social and economic burden that may be highlighted in many dialogs following the presentation of the 2021 budget.

Increasing taxation on an essential hygiene product would cascade down to a health issue with socio economic impacts.

While women and girls do desire to live in a nation that is secure, as does every citizen of this country, their right to accessibility of essential needs should not be deprived or given any less importance. As period poverty isn’t just a women’s issue, it is a health issue.

As a tax paying citizen of the country, it seems imprudent to increase the price of an essential hygiene product that’s needed for more than 30 percent of the country’s population.

We are hopeful that the government sees the importance in creating a conducive environment, to encourage more women to engage in and contribute to the formal economy. The lack of access to adequate sanitary facilities has been identified as one of the main barriers women and girls face, whether it be in the workplace or at school. A step towards gender sensitive budgetary proposals would reflect lifting such barriers, and taking action to not enable the passing of inhibitive budgetary reforms for women, while also keeping in the line with the Sustainable Development Goals of promoting gender equity. Gender sensitive budgeting would be a milestone in that direction.

We have placed trust in your government to do the right thing in setting an example to the rest of the world by removing the taxation placed on this essential item.

LAKMINI JAYATHILAKE