For millions of women and girls around the world, period poverty means a monthly cycle of shame, exclusion, and risk to their health.
Period poverty means a lack of affordable menstrual products like pads and tampons, combined with a lack of adequate hygiene facilities like toilets and running water, all made worse by shame and stigma attached to menstruation. For too many girls, period poverty means missing school and falling behind in their education.
It is estimated that 2.1 billion people around the world menstruate. Period poverty is widespread, especially in poorer countries and rural areas. In Ethiopia, [1] women and girls (54%) lack access to enough period products, with 18% lacking any suitable materials. In the world’s poorest countries, more than 12 million women and girls are forced to rely on toilet paper or underwear to manage their periods. [2]
“Imagine getting your period, or your daughter getting hers, when you can’t even find a drop of clean water. The real pain is the searching for any old piece of cloth or a torn strip from worn-out clothes just to manage somehow. We cut pieces from our own clothes, wash them, dry them in secret, and live in constant fear of infections.”
A woman in Gaza uses a Reemi menstrual kit provided by Oxfam. The woman pictured is not Salwa.
Ending period poverty is a core part of Oxfam’s work to promote gender justice and economic justice around the world.
Our long-term partnerships with communities mean we can work alongside women and girls to challenge the social stigma and discrimination that keeps period poverty hidden.
Involving women and girls is an essential part of every Oxfam project to improve access to water and hygiene, including in responding to humanitarian emergencies, ensuring that women and girls are able to manage their periods safely and with dignity.
"When Oxfam came in and gave us sanitation pads, it helped many of the girls. Our teachers gave us the sanitation pads, and sometimes when we came to school and did not expect our menstruation, we went to the teacher who was in charge of the pads, and they gave us pads so we could stay until the end of the day."
*names have been changed to protect their privacy and identity
[1] World Health Organisation and UNICEF. 2025. Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2024. https://washdata.org/reports/jmp-2025-wash-households, p79-88.