2 million French women¹This is the staggering number of women who, every month, must choose between buying sanitary protection and feeding themselves. Behind this alarming figure lies a reality that our society must face collectively. How can institutions, schools, parents, and individual citizens contribute to solving this problem?
The Invisible Problem That Affects One in Ten Women
Period poverty isn't just a matter of access to hygiene products. It's a complex issue that intertwines economic, educational, and societal challenges.
The figures:
- 1,7 million French women cannot buy enough protection¹
- 13% of female students have already missed classes because of this problem²
- 39% of homeless women have no access to sanitary protection³
- €500 per year: this is the average cost of disposable protection for a heavy flow.⁴
These figures reveal an indisputable fact: period poverty is a public health and equality issue that requires collective mobilization, beyond individual initiatives.
The Crucial Role of Schools
Schools, middle schools, and high schools represent a major lever for breaking the cycle of period poverty. Some French institutions have already initiated exemplary initiatives that deserve to be scaled up nationwide.
Distribution of free protections
Several academies have installed free sanitary pad dispensers in restrooms and infirmaries. This simple but effective initiative helps:
- Managing emergency situations
- Reduce period-related absenteeism
- Normalize conversations around menstruation
Integration into education programs
Menstrual education should be an integral part of health education courses.
- Scientific explanations of the menstrual cycle from CM2/6th grade
- Presentation of all protection options, including reusable ones
- Mixed discussions to raise awareness among boys as well
Training of educational staff
Teachers and school staff are often ill-prepared to address these topics.
- Need to train head teachers and school nurses
- Creation of clear protocols for managing menstrual emergency situations
- Raising awareness of the signs of menstrual insecurity
Parental Responsibility: Educating Without Taboos
Parents have a fundamental role in normalizing conversations about periods and preparing young girls. As early educators, they can either perpetuate taboos or, conversely, establish a healthy and pragmatic dialogue around menstruation.
Breaking the silence from an early age
- Talking about periods as a natural and positive process
- Use correct anatomical terms without euphemisms
- Include boys in these conversations to develop their empathy
Present all available options
- Show the different protections before the first period
- Explain the advantages and disadvantages of each option
- Leave the final choice to the teenager according to her comfort
Recognizing the economic dimension
- Include the cost of menstrual protection in the family budget
- Consider investment in reusable options as economically viable in the long term
- Teaching teenage girls about menstrual health budgeting
Public Policies: Advances & Gaps
In recent years, France has become aware of the issue, but much remains to be done at the institutional level. While some symbolic measures have been adopted under pressure from associations and public opinion, they remain insufficient and often experimental. Among the government initiatives that mark the beginnings of recognition of the problem, some deserve to be highlighted and amplified.
VAT reduction on protections
Since 2016, VAT has dropped from 20% to 5,5%⁵, finally recognizing menstrual protection as a basic necessity. A symbolic but insufficient step forward.
Experimentation in higher education
Since 2021, the government has funded the installation of free ATMs in certain universities⁹A program that deserves to be generalized to all establishments.
Integration into public health issues
Menstrual insecurity is gradually being recognized as a public health issue by the High Authority for Health, which now recommends targeted actions¹.
The rest of the things to do :
- Make protection free in ALL schools
- Create a tax credit for the purchase of reusable protections
- Systematically integrate menstrual education into school curricula
- Training health professionals to detect and treat menstrual insecurity
Businesses & Organizations: Agents of Change
The professional world also has a role to play in standardizing rules and combating job insecurity. Several good practices are already emerging in some companies and would benefit from being adopted more widely.
Free workplace protections
- Installation of free dispensers in company toilets
- Inclusion of protections in first aid kits in the same way as bandages
Flexible menstruation policies
- Recognition of menstrual pain as a legitimate reason for absence or teleworking
- Training managers to destigmatize conversations on the subject
Sponsorship and solidarity actions
- Partnerships with associations fighting against period poverty
- Awareness days and collections among employees
Reusable Solutions: Part of the Answer
Faced with menstrual insecurity, reusable protection represents a structural solution, but one which requires essential support.
Significant economic impact
The long-term economic impact of reusable pads is undeniable. Although they require a larger initial investment, these alternatives offer substantial savings that radically change the financial equation.
| SOLUTION | INITIAL COST | COST OVER 5 YEARS | SAVINGS MADE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampons/pads | 5 € / month | 300€ | - |
| Period Panties | 90€ (3 pairs of panties) | 90€ | 210€ |
| Menstrual disc/cup | 30€ | 30€ | 270€ |
Double ecological and economic benefit
Beyond individual savings, reusable solutions can generate considerable positive externalities.
- Reduce menstrual waste (11 disposable protections avoided per person)¹⁰)
- Reduce the carbon footprint linked to the production and transport of disposable protections
- Reduce public spending on waste management
The obstacles to be lifted collectively
Despite their advantages, reusable protections still face several obstacles.
- Financial barrier of initial investment
- Lack of information and prejudices
- Access to adequate infrastructure (privacy, clean water)
A Social Issue: Collective Actions to Move Forward
The fight against period poverty must mobilize the whole of society.
At the institutional level
- Launch national awareness campaigns
- Create an observatory for menstrual insecurity
- Generalize free ATMs in all public places
- Include reusable protections in supported care baskets
At the educational level
- Systematically train teachers in menstrual education
- Create dedicated and safe spaces for menstruating students
- Develop educational materials adapted to each age
- Invite health professionals for regular interventions
At the family level
- Address the subject before the first period (ideally around 10 years old)
- Prepare a "first period kit" including different options
- Normalize conversations about periods, including with men in the family
- Plan the necessary budget and consider reusable options
At the medical level
- Systematize questions about menstrual management during gynecological consultations
- Propose prescriptions for reusable protections
- Detect precarious situations and direct them to the appropriate resources
Changing Perspective: Periods as a Social Issue, Not an Individual Problem
Period poverty is not a "women's issue" but a collective issue that reflects our societal values.
Towards a new paradigm:
- Overcoming the shame and taboo still associated with periods
- Consider access to protections as a fundamental right
- Recognizing the economic and social impact of menstruation
- Promote menstrual education for all, including boys and men
When a society normalizes conversations about periods and ensures access to appropriate protections, it takes a significant step toward gender equality and dignity for all.
Period poverty is not inevitable. It's a systemic problem that requires collective solutions.
If you would like to learn more about reusable solutions and their economic impact, discover our range of products designed to be accessible to as many people as possible.
SOURCES & REFERENCES
¹ Report "State of menstrual insecurity in France" - IFOP, February 2019 https://www.ifop.com/publication/hygiene-et-precarite-en-france/
² FAGE (Federation of General Student Associations) study - "Menstrual insecurity among female students", 2021 https://www.fage.org/ressources/documents/3/6655-20210208_DP_FAGE_Enquete_Precarite_.pdf
³ Parrillo A, Feller E. “Menstrual hygiene plight of homeless women, a public health disgrace”. RI Med J, 2017 http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal/2017/12/2017-12.pdf
⁴ N'Sondé V. "Periodic protection: Not yet reassured!". 60 million consumers. 2019;546:10-5.
⁵ Official Journal of the French Republic - Finance Law 2016, Article 27 https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000031732865
⁶ Household income and assets: standard of living and poverty of women and men. INSEE, 2018 https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4238393?sommaire=4238781
⁷ Magnan S. “Always Confidence & Puberty”. Businesswire, 2018 https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180807005269/fr/
⁸ Plan international UK's research on period poverty and stigma, December 2017 https://plan-uk.org/media-centre/plan-international-uks-research-on-period-poverty-and-stigma
⁹ Schiappa M, Dubos C. "The 2020 experiment of free sanitary protection in several collective places for a budget of 1 million euros". Press release. Paris. February 2020. https://solidarites.gouv.fr/precarite-menstruelle-experimentation-de-la-gratuite-des-protections-hygieniques
¹⁰ Cabrera A, Garcia R. "The environmental and economic costs of single-use menstrual products, baby diapers, and wipes. A survey on the impact of these single-use products in Europe." ZWE. November 2019. https://zerowasteeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/bffp_report_mestrualitemsnappies_fr.pdf
¹¹ Infographic: Stop the shame. Let's change the rules. UN Women. October 2019 https://www.unwomen.org/fr/digital-library/multimedia/2019/10/infographic-periods
¹² House S, Mahon T, Cavill S. “Menstrual Hygiene Matters: A Resource for Improving Menstrual Hygiene around the World”. WaterAid Report, 2012 https://washmatters.wateraid.org/sites/g/files/jkxoof256/files/Menstrual%20hygiene%20matters%20low%20resolution.pdf
