Periods and climate change

We’re proud to be part of the Global Menstrual Collective in the push for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld and #MenstrualJusticeForAll. While the connections between climate change and menstruation may not be immediately obvious, they are profound and essential to understand, especially when considering the lives of millions of women and girls worldwide.

As climate change intensifies, so do its effects on our daily lives. Extreme weather events—scorching heatwaves, severe droughts, and increasing water scarcity—impact health, economic opportunities, and basic day-to-day activities. Yet, in the unfolding climate crisis, low- and middle-income countries face the heaviest burdens, where women and girls often find themselves bearing the weight disproportionately due to entrenched #GenderInequalities.

Beyond the Carbon Footprint

Often, the climate conversation around menstruation is limited to the environmental impact of single-use products like disposable pads and tampons, which contribute to pollution and increase carbon emissions. However, to focus only on these products’ carbon footprint is to overlook the wider and deeply significant ways climate change affects menstrual health and hygiene.

A Silent Crisis: Menstrual Health in a Warming World

Consider how climate change’s cascading effects lead to profound and practical challenges for women and girls:

• Water Scarcity: In many areas, menstruation relies on clean water for both personal hygiene and the washing of reusable menstrual products. As droughts worsen and water scarcity becomes more prevalent, women and girls face compromised menstrual health, forced to use unclean water or limit washing due to shortages.
• Heat and Hygiene: Extreme heat makes maintaining personal hygiene even more challenging. Without reliable access to clean water or temperature control, women and girls are at risk of infections, discomfort, and restricted mobility.
• Economic Hardships: In areas where extreme weather events disrupt agriculture and livelihoods, families often face reduced incomes, leading to sacrifices in hygiene product purchases. For millions, these products remain unaffordable luxuries.
• Safety in Displacement: With rising sea levels, floods, and extreme weather, displacement is increasingly common. Women and girls in shelters or camps often find themselves without private, safe spaces to manage menstruation, compounding a cycle of stigma and deprivation.

Achieving Menstrual Justice in a Changing Climate

Achieving #MenstrualJusticeForAll means addressing these climate-related challenges and ensuring equitable access to menstrual hygiene products, clean water, and safe spaces. As we work toward a #PeriodFriendlyWorld, it’s essential to address these connections. Through targeted interventions, we can alleviate menstrual health burdens that climate change amplifies. Together, let’s make sure that climate justice includes menstrual justice for all.

source :

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sustainability-infographics_climatechange-menstrualhealth-menstrualhygiene-activity-7253344145241505792-lV_0?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop