The Price of a Period: Economic and Social Costs for Indian Women

• Menstruation is still considered a taboo in many areas of India, which leads to people doing it secretly and being excluded from society.
• Even in rural areas, where the need for such products is higher, the prices that sanitary items are sold at still remain stiff, thus causing health and hygiene problems for people living there.
• Girls and women lose enough because of absenteeism along with cultural taboos which doesn’t allow them to grow at the rate within their ranks. 

Do you know that a woman menstruates for a good seven years of her life?

Every month women menstruate in silent pain while many of us feel that this naturally occurring phenomena still needs to be kept a secret. In India, traditional norms still strongly influence societal beliefs and practices. Women going through menstruation are often considered ‘unclean’ or ‘impure’ in many communities.

It’s important to realize the impact of menstrual stigma on women’s lives. This stigma affects their socio-economic status, education, and access to health facilities. Spending on sanitary products is minor compared to the real cost of menstruation. Menstruation becomes a barrier to a girl’s education, career, and overall life growth. So, how does this shame and taboo around menstruation hold back not just women, but the entire nation?  

This article explores the hidden costs of menstruation on women’s lives. It sheds light on a topic that affects millions but is rarely discussed openly. Skipping school and missing work are clear effects of ignoring menstrual health issues. Gender inequalities worsen when menstrual health laws are neglected and must be urgently addressed.

Direct Economic Costs of Menstruation

Most Indian women (especially in rural areas) struggle financially to buy sanitary items including pads, tampons and menstrual cups. Even though a single pad might be inexpensive, it adds up to high costs throughout a woman’s lifetime.

NFHS data shows 82% of urban women use sanitary pads regularly. In rural areas, only 48% of women have access to or use sanitary pads. Every year women spend between ₹2,400 and ₹3,600 purchasing sanitary products that cost between ₹200 and ₹300 monthly.

Women with limited financial means face substantial hardship because of such multiple expenses. Women often choose between sanitary products and basic household essentials. These products consume a significant portion of their monthly budget. As a result, most women choose secondhand clothing as a replacement which brings heightened infection risks and health concerns along.

However, women’s expenses are not limited to only that. Because of the menstrual cycle, women face additional health issues that are quite costly in nature. Many women experience extremely painful and irregular menstruation. Some also suffer from gynecological conditions like PCOD and PCOS. Unquestionably, many of them end up using medical treatment to address the problem, and this unavoidably increases the cost to another level. 

Indirect Economic Costs of Menstruation

A far less obvious source of the problem, the indirect costs of menstruation, not visible, but no less of a problem. It has negative effects on women’s lives, their learning process, and their contributions to their families.

Women, who are on their periods, mostly are not present in the school and work systems. It is very vital in the rural areas where the necessary products and sanitary facilities are not being provided. Missing one day of work may seem minor to some. But for agricultural and informal workers, it can cause serious financial hardship.

Many women and girls miss work and school during their periods. They lack proper infrastructure to manage their menstrual hygiene effectively. Most rural schools lack the resources to offer menstrual education. And when it exists, the education provided is often very limited.

Young girls often skip classes every month during their periods. They stay silent due to fear and societal taboos around menstruation. Female worker absenteeism, just to be precise, influences women’s careers for a long time. 

In white-collar jobs, menstruation may not be a visible reason for absence. Yet, pain and discomfort can reduce a woman’s work efficiency. Over time, missed days due to menstruation are not compensated. This reduced productivity can lead to lower wages or unstable employment.

However, besides these, there are still more expenses that cannot be avoided. Women suffer due to the additional health-related costs of their menstrual cycle. Women with painful or irregular menstruation often need medical attention. Seeking healthcare for these issues adds extra financial burden.

Managing menstrual difficulties can be financially challenging for many women. Medications for conditions like endometriosis and PCOS are often very expensive. At home, the economic burden of menstruation frequently falls on families as a whole. In poorer households, sanitary products consume a huge chunk of the family budget. 

When more than one woman in the family menstruates every month, the aggregate expenses are even heavier. This economic burden frequently translates to fewer resources for other basic necessities, such as healthcare or education.

Social and Cultural Costs of Menstruation

Apart from the economic expense, menstruation has substantial social and cultural expenses. Menstrual stigma is deeply rooted in Indian society. Women are often seen as “impure” and excluded from religious and social activities. The idea of “pollution” reinforces negative views about menstruation. It promotes hiding menstruation instead of accepting it as a natural process. Menstrual shame takes a heavy emotional toll on women. They often manage their periods in secrecy and isolation.

Emotions of guilt, shame, and embarrassment are very common, and the mental health of women suffers when they are troubled by these emotions. Another harmful effect is social isolation. Women are made to feel ashamed of their natural bodily function. During menstruation, they often feel the need to hide themselves. This leads to some women feeling inadequate and very stressed.

Menstruation is also linked with greater gender inequality in India. Government policies often overlook the menstrual needs of women. This happens even though women make up half of the country’s population. Women often lack understanding and medical support during their periods. They are also denied the interpersonal care needed to manage menstruation with dignity. And like everything, if you’re poor, the situation is ten times worse. This results in poor health outcomes for many women and girls. It also causes educational marginalization and workplace discrimination. Menstruation thus appears to be reinforcing wide disparities between the sexes.

Economic and social consequences stem from the cultural taboos surrounding menstruation. These consequences often lead to women missing work or school, causing them to lose wages and essential learning opportunities. This issue is most pronounced among rural and impoverished populations. What is possible to do?

First of all, we can educate people about menstruation and the issues associated with it; the more people are aware, the healthier the community’s attitude will be overall. Secondly, we can ensure that menstrual products that are either low cost or free can be managed by the less fortunate. At the same time, ensuring that women can manage their menstrual health means carrying out the central mandate of empowerment and social change. 

By overcoming this, we can correct a long-standing injustice toward women.