Period poverty: a silent crisis

Imagine missing a week of school or work every month, not because you’re sick or because there’s a family crisis, but simply because you have your period. This is the reality for millions of people around the world. Every month, more than two billion people menstruate – one of the most natural, universal experiences in human biology – and yet, for too many, it’s a source of shame, suffering and lost opportunity. This is the quiet crisis of period poverty. 

What is period poverty? 

Period poverty is not simply about the cost of a box of pads or tampons – it’s about the girls who miss a week of school every month because their classroom has no private toilet, the women who skip work because they cannot afford to manage their period safely, and the teens who have never even heard the word "menstruation" before their first period arrived, leaving them feeling frightened and alone. Period poverty, at its core, is the inability to afford and access menstrual products, safe sanitation and hygiene facilities, and the education needed to manage menstrual health with dignity.  

As one of the most overlooked barriers to gender equality, period poverty takes a heavy toll on women and girls, quietly costing them their education, health, income and wellbeing.  

A global crisis by the numbers 

The scale of period poverty is staggering, and it’s playing out in high, middle and low-income nations. Across the world, more than 500 million people who menstruate do not have suitable access to menstrual products or hygiene facilities. For millions of girls and women, these products are prohibitively expensive, partly due to what is often referred to as the “pink tax”, where menstrual items have historically been classified and taxed as luxury goods, despite being as essential as food or medicine. Too often, this forces an impossible choice between paying for food or rent, and managing a period safely and with dignity. 

At the same time, over 1.5 billion people still lack basic sanitation services, such as private toilets, and access to a safe, private space to change and clean themselves – managing a period becomes not just inconvenient, but humiliating and unsafe. 

This is a global issue, but it’s also a persistent and overlook reality for many Australians. The 2024 Bloody Big Survey by Share the Dignity found that 64 per cent of menstruators have struggled to afford period products due to cost. Students, particularly those in TAFEs and universities, are increasingly improvising with alternatives when they cannot access what they need. 

The impacts extend well beyond affordability. Nearly seven in ten respondents reported missing sport because of their period, with more than three-quarters citing fear of leaking or staining their clothes. More than half said they had missed work. These experiences are not just practical challenges, they are shaped by the stigma and shame that still surround menstruation. Alarmingly, only 36 per cent of respondents felt they were well informed about menstruation before their first period, highlighting ongoing gaps in education and support. 

Globally, these challenges are often even more pronounced. In rural communities across multiple countries, at least one in ten girls and women report not having a private place to wash and change during their last period. In the Middle East and North Africa region, the situation is particularly acute. Millions of children lack access to safe water, and many schools are without basic handwashing or sanitation facilities, making it extremely difficult for girls to manage their periods with dignity. 

Stigma continues to deepen these inequalities. In the same region, UNICEF’s U-Report found that one in five girls do not speak to anyone about menstruation – not a parent, not a teacher, not a friend. This silence leaves girls uninformed, unprepared and unsupported, reinforcing a cycle where something entirely natural becomes a source of fear and exclusion. 

The cost to education 

One of the most devastating consequences of period poverty is its impact on girls' education and their futures.

In many low-income countries, some girls regularly miss up to five days of school each month because they cannot afford menstrual products or access safe, private sanitation facilities. That is a month and a half of learning lost every single year. Over time, these absences compound, causing girls to fall so far behind in their schoolwork, and in some cases, drop out entirely.  

This reality became even more pronounced after Cyclone Freddy destroyed the only waterpoint at a primary school in Mozambique, leaving students and teachers without reliable access to water for more than six months and forcing many girls to miss lessons during their periods. 

The schoolteacher, Zuhari, explains that many girls were absent for several days each month, with clear impacts on their learning and test results. When UNICEF rebuilt the waterpoint and restored the water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, the change was immediate.  

 “Now the girls do not miss any days. They go to the bathroom, clean themselves, and come back,” says Zuhari. 

When girls lose access to education, they increase their chances of losing their economic independence, their voice, and their power to shape their own lives – a ripple effect that can be felt not only within their families, but also their communities. 

The health risks no one talks about 

Poor menstrual hygiene has been directly linked to reproductive and urinary tract infections. When girls resort to using scraps of cloth, paper, or nothing at all to manage their periods, the physical health consequences can be severe and lasting. 

In places like Niger, 6 per cent of women used paper as a menstrual product; 12 per cent of women in Burkina Faso used only underwear; and 11 per cent of women in Ethiopia used nothing at all.  

Emerging research also shows strong links between period poverty and mental health. Studies have found that those who experience period poverty monthly are at significantly greater risk of symptoms consistent with moderate to severe depression. The shame and anxiety of managing a period without adequate resources takes a psychological toll that extends well beyond the menstrual cycle itself. 

How is UNICEF responding the silent crisis 

Addressing period poverty takes more than providing products; it means tackling the barriers that prevent girls from managing their periods safely and with dignity. UNICEF works with communities and governments to do just that, from distributing hygiene kits in emergencies to improving access to clean, private toilets in schools, while also supporting girls with the information they need to understand their bodies. Through tools like Oky – the first period tacking app co-created with girls for girls – UNICEF is helping to ensure this information is accessible, practical and shaped by girls experiences. Designed to be safe, easy-to-use and available in multiple languages both online and offline, Oky complements on-the-ground efforts to strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene systems at scale.  

In 2025, UNICEF also supported over 17 million people to access basic sanitation, 34 million to safe water, and 15 million to basic hygiene. In 2024, nearly 9,000 schools and 4,000 health facilities were also supported to reach basic water, sanitation and hygiene standards, critical for ensuring girls have safe spaces to manage their periods. Alongside this, UNICEF programs directly supported the menstrual health and hygiene needs of almost 12 million women and adolescent girls, helping to break stigma, build confidence, and ensure periods are no longer a barrier to education or opportunity.