Subsidized Menstrual Pads: Good for Girls, Bad for the Planet

Getting your period, no matter how enlightened you are about the matter, can be an embarrassing experience — especially if you don't have the right menstrual supplies on hand to keep the private matter to yourself. In some countries that lack the very basics, this becomes a much greater problem. Girls in a number of African countries, for example, have been known to miss school when they're having their period, and the same is true of girls in Nepal. Embarrassment coupled with lack of supplies means staying home.

To address the same problem in their own country, the Indian government announced this week that it would begin subsidizing menstrual pads for impoverished school girls. The program will reach up to 15 million girls and cost as little as two cents per pad. Women and girls who cannot afford to buy pads sometimes use old newspaper or jute, which can cause infections. New Dehli-based non-profit Goonj publicly backs the program and believes it will help girls stay in school and curb infection rates.

Here's the problem: disposable pads are enormously problematic from an environmental perspective. The FDA, for example, does not require that ingredients be listed on disposable menstrual pads, and most are bleached during manufacturing, leaving behind dangerous dioxins. On a more personal level, disposable pads can contain allergens, perfumes, and other chemicals that may irritate some women. Handing them out at reduced cost may solve a temporary problem like the spread of infection, but it causes innumerable long-term issues for a country already dealing with significant pollution and for women already trying to combat sanitary conditions that affect their health. What's even stranger is that Goonj already runs a campaign to educate women about cloth pads. So why suddenly turn to disposable methods?

You know who else benefits from this equation? Procter & Gamble and Hindustan Unilever, the largest suppliers of feminine hygiene products to India. A recent report indicates that "India is set to be the most lucrative investment destination for the sanitary pads market in future." So much for that whole do-gooder vibe, eh?

I believe that education is perhaps the single most important part of personal liberation. That said, I don't think screwing up the environment and supporting massive corporate conglomerates is the way to do it. Sign this petition and tell Goonj to find more sustainable ways to help girls and young women who need subsidized menstrual supplies. Tell them to continue to support cloth pads and other renewable, reusable resources instead of creating more waste and relying on chemical products from multinational corporations. In order to empower ourselves, sometimes we have to say no to the quick and seemingly simple solution.

Photo Credit: indangel