Linked below is an article by The Guardian that our teacher coordinator, Ms. Wilson, found for us to read together as a group and formulate a discussion as the article coincided with one of the main issues we work toward eradicating: period poverty. The article speaks about the situation of menstruating women in Gaza and the lack of access they have to basic sanitary products. We chose to read articles about topics like period poverty and sanitation because we are constantly advocating for menstrual rights, but we always have more to learn. This article greatly emphasized how period poverty is still an overlooked issue in the world and showed how over 700,000 women are dealing with their periods in unfamiliar circumstances.
We discussed several points that were brought up in the article including:
- How do you think the situation in Gaza has affected menstruation for those amidst it? Does this relate to period poverty?
- Many women in Gaza are facing a lack of menstrual products and resources making it very hard for them to stay hygienic during their cycle
- The mental health of many women was affected as they faced constant shame and humiliation due to the lack of privacy
- Is there a lot of stigma surrounding menstruation in Gaza?
- It is not considered a “serious” issue compared to the life-and-death situation and is easily overlooked
- Women are also not comfortable asking for menstrual products as there is a negative perception toward those who menstruate
- How has the difficulty of having a safe menstrual cycle affected the people who menstruate in Gaza?
- Irregular and repeated periods due to the stress of the situation
- Continuous irregular periods can lead to several chronic diseases including ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and more
