menstrual equity

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the principle and policy agenda that all people who menstruate should have affordable, safe, and dignified access to menstrual products, hygiene facilities, and education, and should be free from stigma, shame, and economic hardship related to menstruation; menstrual equity advocates work to end period poverty — the inability to afford menstrual products — through provision of free products in schools, shelters, and public facilities, removal of taxes on menstrual products, and inclusion of menstrual health in school curricula; the menstrual equity movement argues that inadequate access to products and facilities forces girls to miss school, limits women's workplace participation, and imposes an unjust economic burden on already-disadvantaged populations; menstrual health is increasingly recognised as a component of the human rights to health, dignity, and education