Every month, about 2 billion people across the world menstruate. Millions of menstruators are unable to manage their periods in a healthy manner. When menstruating, all of them do not have adequate access to affordable menstruation products. Period poverty is the lack of access to menstrual products, basic sanitation and the receiving inadequate education about menstrual hygiene and sexual health. This affects the lives of nearly 500 million women and girls around the world. In the United States, 1 in 4 teenagers and 1 and 3 adults, specifically those of color and lower income, struggle to provide themselves with period products monthly. 

Girls living in Sub-Saharan Africa face more unique challenges when managing their periods each month. One in 10 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their period which causes them to potentially miss 20% of an academic year. This creates a deficit that impacts them throughout their education. Girls in Sierra Leone face this reality and similar ones when trying to manage their periods in school. The disparities are even more striking in rural communities as about 70% of girls do not have access to commercial menstrual products, according to Amara, an NGO based in Sierra Leone. 

Stigma, increased prices of menstrual hygiene products and lack of clean water and sanitation facilities all contribute to women and girls being unable to meet their needs during menstruation. Shame around menstruation is a significant driver of period poverty. This stigma leads to decreased education and awareness about what periods are and how one should manage it, which leaves many girls unprepared for when they see their first cycle. 

Cultural norms also propel myths and shame about menstruation. Some cultures believe that women are unclean and should be isolated from others during menstruation. These beliefs are harmful to women and girls as they can discourage them from seeking their education, going to  work and performing tasks in their daily lives during their periods. 

Globally, 1.5 billion people do not have access to private facilities such as private toilets. More specifically in Sierra Leone, schools often lack private sanitation facilities, so many girls are unable to manage their menstruation hygienically while at school. 

About 60% of the population in Sierra Leone lives below the nation’s poverty line. Low-income individuals living in Sierra Leone earn about $1 to $2 U.S. dollars a day. The average monthly cost of disposable pads in Sierra Leone is 20 to 30 SSL which is about 4 to 5 USD, according to Dr. Yomba Fasuluku. Some lower-income families will decide to feed their families or pay school tuition instead of allocating money to purchase sanitary pads. Those who can not afford to buy disposable sanitary pads will resort to using old pieces of cloth or wearing nothing at all during their cycle.   

The history of Sierra Leone shapes the conversation around period poverty within the country. 

One of the most significant events in the country’s history is the Civil War, which lasted from 1991 to 2001. It ushered in an era of violence and caused such devastation that scarred the country’s government and citizens. Sierra Leone’s economy and infrastructure suffered leaving families severely impoverished. 

The war resulted in more than 50,000 deaths and the displacement of nearly half of the country’s 4.5 million population. Thousands of child soldiers were enlisted in the war, around 100,000 civilians suffered physical mutilation and women were raped and forced into sexual slavery. An estimated 250,000 women and girls were victims of gender-based violence. This period in the nation’s history allowed degradation and sexual violence against Sierra Leonean women to take root and become more normalized within their society. Because of this, gender-based violence remains a serious issue in the lives of women and girls in the country. 

Gender based violence is a barrier that prevents women and girls from feeling empowered to contribute to society. When women and girls face such violence, they have less autonomy to make independent decisions and are less willing to emerge as leaders in their society. 

In 2019, over 60% of women ages 15 to 49 reported experience physical or sexual violence. Sexual violence leads to high numbers of teenage preganacy and early marriage. In 2016, over 30% of girls in the country were victims of teenage pregnancy. Both teenage pregnancy and early marriage abbreviates a girl’s education which limits her possibilities of matriculating to higher education, advancing in a career that can provide financial security and ultimately perpetuating cycles of poverty in her life. When women and girls do not have financial resources, they are unable to provide necessities such as menstrual hygiene products. 

Outside of gender based violence, Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to the poverty in the country that drives period poverty. Ebola ravaged Sierra Leone in 2014.