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Some 615 million women and girls currently live in conflict zones around the worldaccording to the United Nations, a reality inseparably linked to that of the menstrual povertywhich occurs when the female population does not have the capacity to access hygiene and health products – also facilities such as bathrooms – linked to menstruation. Among those who suffer from this problem are hundreds of thousands of Palestinian and Lebanese women.
The latest data on this matter from the United Nations – from the beginning of the year – assured that More than 540,000 women and girls of reproductive age in Gaza have daily problems accessing hygiene and health products linked to menstruation. UN Women then estimated that ten million packages of sanitary pads are needed every month to preserve the dignity of women and young people in the Strip.
Lack of water
Furthermore, the lack of water, especially acute since the Israeli offensive began more than 13 months ago, is closely linked to the situation of menstrual poverty suffered by the majority of women in the Gaza Strip. In a report dated last May, the NGO Anera – whose work focuses on helping refugees in Lebanon and Gaza – recalls the long lines of women waiting for hours to use a toilet -it is estimated that there is one toilet for almost 500 people- and the impossibility for many of them to be able to shower for weeks.
“Without water, soap or menstrual hygiene products, women and girls resort to rags, diapers, shreds of clothing or tents.”recalls the aforementioned NGO about the daily situation of Gazan women. In view of the humanitarian deterioration in the small Palestinian territory after more than a year of calamities and in the absence of updated figures in the last half year, the situation will foreseeably continue to worsen in this regard.
A woman walks past an anti-US mural. and Israel on a wall calling for the boycott of American and Israeli artifacts.
The crisis in Lebanon
As regards Lebanonbefore the outbreak of the current war between Israel and Hezbollah, menstrual poverty was already a serious problem for tens of thousands of women due to a succession of economic crises. The depression caused by the Beirut port explosion (August 2020) and the covid-19 pandemic has meant an increase in the prices of pads and other feminine hygiene products between 98% and 234%. In April 2020, in the midst of the health crisis, 66% of girls in the Levantine country claimed to be unable to purchase menstrual hygiene productsaccording to data from UN Women. For its part, the aforementioned NGO Anera stated in a report last spring that the accumulated increase in the prices of food products menstrual hygiene in the last five years in Lebanon reaches 500%.
For its part, according to data from the Lebanese non-governmental organization Female – the feminist entity was founded in 2013 -, more than half of Lebanese women suffer to varying degrees from menstrual poverty and 66% of young women do not have the economic means to be able to access necessary hygiene products.
A study of another NGO, Plan International -most recent, 2021-provided the information that the 76.5% of Lebanese women had difficulties accessing menstrual hygiene products. Among the women participating in the study, 57.6% claimed to have used medical devices for a long time available to them and 56.9% admitted being forced to opt for cheaper alternatives.
A displaced Palestinian woman with water among the garbage in Khan Yunis, south of the Strip
According to the conclusions of the same work, the 43% of participating women admitted anxiety and stress regarding menstrual health36% of them presented physical symptoms and 35.9% avoided carrying out daily activities for the same reasons. Furthermore, 46.5% of the women participating in the work confessed they were ashamed of their menstruation and 47% feared that the rest would know that they were menstruating.
If the situation was already very serious before the war scenario that the country is currently experiencing – since the end of last September there have been at least 1.2 million internally displaced people -, The humanitarian emergency situation will worsen the figures related to menstrual poverty -particularly among the population that continues to reside in the southern governorate and in the Becá valley- in the absence of new studies by NGOs.
Palestinians inspect the rubble of a building destroyed after an Israeli airstrike in Deir Al Balah, in the central Gaza Strip.
Nonetheless, the issue remains a taboo in the country of cedars. To try to make progress in overcoming stigma in Lebanon and, more urgently, directly help the most affected population, entities such as the aforementioned Female, Roof and Roots, WingWoman Lebanon o Dawrati (‘my period’, in Arabic) -especially the last two dedicated to the issue of menstruation- are currently being used thoroughly to reach where the administrations cannot. All of them work both in raising awareness about menstrual hygiene through campaigns and also through social networks and in direct work by distributing free sanitary products among the population or raising funds to purchase them.
More women than men
Regarding the current crisis that the Levantine country is experiencing, the co-founder of Dawrati, Line Masrireminds Article14 that “among the internally displaced there are more women than men” and that “these are not poor families, but They were people who had their homes, jobs and dreams before the current situationso menstrual poverty must be addressed in this case in a different way.” “We must keep in mind that in addition to Lebanese, there are many foreign workers who have lost their jobs in recent weeks and they are suffering from menstrual poverty,” he says.
Volunteers prepare food for internally displaced people in a public park in Beirut, Lebanon.
The activist explains that the majority of places of refuge for these families are public schools, which “are not prepared to welcome them from a health point of view.” “There is need for menstrual and food productsbut above all there is a lack of toilets and showers, kitchens, washing machines and privacy, as well as places to rest when women are in pain,” says Masri. “This is a much bigger challenge than the lack of pads“, the co-founder of the Lebanese NGO Dawrati tells this medium.
Masri believes that “we have no hope in our Government,” so the response is being given by the Lebanese civilian population. “Since the war began, we in Dawrati have assisted by distributing sanitary pads to 12,000 women throughout the country, especially in the south and the Becá Valley,” the young woman explains to Article14. Dawrati co-founder urges other non-governmental organizations to do more financial possibilities and means, donate, in addition to menstrual hygiene productswashing machines to the schools that serve as reception. “In addition to women, better sanitary conditions in general will serve to prevent the spread of infections and diseases, a risk that the United Nations already warns about,” concludes the Lebanese activist.
For its part, UNFPA Lebanon (United Nations Population Fund for Lebanon) has organized educational workshops around menstruation, among other initiatives on pregnancy and motherhood. The different groups agree on the need to coordinate public and private efforts and to work on the educational and awareness-raising front to advance the improvement of the situation of Lebanese women.
**How does the intersection of political instability and economic hardship in Gaza and Lebanon exacerbate the challenges women face in accessing menstrual hygiene products?**
This article sheds light on a pressing issue impacting countless women and girls in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon: menstrual poverty. Here are some thematic open-ended questions inspired by the text, designed to spark a rich discussion:
**Theme 1: Understanding Menstrual Poverty**
1. **The article defines menstrual poverty. Can you elaborate on the various ways in which this manifests, both practically and emotionally, for women experiencing it?**
2. **This issue often intersects with other social, economic, and political challenges. In the context of Gaza and Lebanon, how do these intersecting factors amplify the struggles of women facing menstrual poverty?**
3. **The article mentions lack of water as a major contributor to menstrual poverty. How does this highlight the interconnectedness of basic human needs and access to sanitary resources?**
**Theme 2: The Impact on Women and Girls**
1. **The article cites various statistics about menstrual poverty. How do these numbers help us understand the scale of the problem and its impact on individual lives?**
2. **The article discusses the psychological toll of menstrual poverty – shame, anxiety, and physical discomfort. How can these experiences further marginalize women and girls, hindering their participation in society?**
3. **The article mentions that menstrual poverty can affect education and daily activities. How can this translate into long-term consequences for girls and women in terms of their opportunities and well-being?**
**Theme 3: Solutions and Advocacy**
1. **What are some effective strategies that have been implemented to address menstrual poverty, and how can these be adapted to the specific contexts of Palestine and Lebanon?**
2. **The article highlights the role of NGOs in providing menstrual products and raising awareness. How can governments, international organizations, and individuals contribute to long-lasting solutions?**
3. **The article mentions the importance of breaking down the stigma surrounding menstruation. How can we encourage open conversations and normalize this natural biological process in these contexts?**
**Theme 4: Looking Ahead**
1. **Imagine you are advising a policymaker on how to address menstrual poverty in Palestine and Lebanon. What are the key recommendations you would make on both a short-term and long-term basis?**
2. **The article focuses on the current humanitarian crises. How can we ensure that menstrual hygiene remains a priority even in the absence of immediate emergencies?
3. **What role can technology and innovation play in addressing menstrual poverty, particularly in contexts with limited resources?**
These open-ended questions are meant to encourage critical thinking, empathy, and informed discussion about the complex realities faced by women and girls struggling with menstrual poverty in Palestine and Lebanon.
