Period Poverty in India: Intersectionality of Caste and Class

Learning Outcomes:

  • To understand intersectionality and gain a deeper understanding of how caste and class intersect with gender issues in the context of menstruation.
  • To learn how multiple social identities impact people’s experiences and access to menstrual hygiene.
  • To recognize how privilege and disadvantage play out in the context of menstruation, shedding light on how upper-caste and class individuals experience this issue differently from those in marginalized communities.
  • To critically analyze concepts like capitalism and gender inequality.
  • To shed light on how capitalism perpetuates gendered inequalities and binaries and develop critical thinking skills by examining how economic systems can contribute to or exacerbate social issues, including period poverty.
  • To promote inclusivity and emphasize the importance of addressing these issues comprehensively and dismantling cultural stigmas.

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own”
~ Audre Lorde

Introduction

With growing liberal activism and the semi-large-scale proliferation of the internet in the past few years, the topic of menstruation and hygiene has come into the public eye. However, this myopic narrative on menstruation restricts the issue from taking a privileged stand by rarely shaping any legitimate and substantive political discourse on the subject. Ergo, the dialogue around this topic has been asymmetrically produced by and/or restricted to Savarna, upper-class/caste cis-women in India. Consequently, the issue has been dealt with in a robust superstructure guided by socio-political privileges and capitalist disparities.
Credits: Tanisha Batra, Graphics Intern at Mandonna
The inadequate access to menstrual products and education around hygiene has been a severe barrier in working towards menstrual equity for a very long time. Period poverty refers to the state in which people who menstruate find themselves without the financial resources to access suitable menstrual products. It is the lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, handwashing facilities, or waste management.

Understanding Intersectionality, Privilege, and Marginalization

The first and foremost fact to acknowledge in this regard is that ‘not all menstruators are women and not all women menstruate’. Throughout the course of history, menstruation has consistently been perceived within a binary framework. This narrative completely invalidates the lived experiences and struggles of trans men, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people. Moreover, this entirely disregards women who do not menstruate, i.e., trans women and women with various medical conditions like PCOD amongst others.
The shame, silence, and lack of awareness around menstruation, essentially overlooks the intersectionality of class, caste, sexual orientation, race, and gender. Menstrual taboo is a challenge for women in Indian society because of compounded stigma, patriarchal mindset, and structural inequalities. Decades of entrenched patriarchal gender roles, which have systematically oppressed women physically and mentally, have contributed to a pervasive lack of awareness and the perpetuation of stigma surrounding women’s menstrual cycles.
This has further solidified the prevailing negative perceptions and attitudes towards menstruation in contemporary society. Additionally, the existing practice of everyday religious dogmatism enables this practice of internalized taboo and therefore, institutionalizes the legitimization of cultural shame around menstruation. However, the menstrual taboo does not subjugate all women to the same.

Capitalism and Commodification

What we also must comprehend is the presence of capitalist systems reinforcing these gender standards by perpetuating ignorance and stigmatization surrounding menstruation through the maintenance of patriarchal power structures. The prioritization of productivity and efficiency within the framework of capitalism fosters an atmosphere wherein menstruation is perceived as a deterrent to economic output. Therefore, educational initiatives and measures on menstrual health are inadequately addressed, thereby exacerbating the lack of awareness surrounding this topic.
Capitalism also transforms basic human needs, including menstrual hygiene, into commodities. Menstrual products such as sanitary pads, tampons, and menstrual cups are manufactured, marketed, and sold for profit. This commodification perpetuates gendered inequalities, as menstrual products are often priced higher due to the gendered nature of the market. Thus, individuals from marginalized communities face financial and socio-cultural barriers to accessing adequate menstrual products, further intensifying the endless cycle of disadvantage.
The instances of not only the lack of availability of menstrual products like pads, tampons, and menstrual cups but also washing facilities and waste management attached to it turn this into an unaffordable and inaccessible affair for the majority of menstruators in India. According to a study, on average, an Indian woman needs around ₹300 to buy the required supplies during every period cycle. However, in a country like India, where approximately 70.62 million people live on less than ₹166.32 a day, it becomes a struggle between opting for necessities for survival or menstrual products, specifically for people who belong to vulnerable sections like lower class and caste backgrounds.

Period Poverty and Dalit Identity

Recently, the feminist movement in India started equating societal stigma around periods with the practice of untouchability. This narrative is untrue and dismissive of the issues faced by Dalit, Bahujan, and Adivasi women. It is important to remember that an upper-class Savarna woman is unlikely to have the same experiences as a Dalit woman while menstruating or otherwise. The mainstream discourse on women’s rights, therefore, fails to give attention to the socio-cultural and economic diversity of women. This, in turn, fails to take into account how their experiences and identities transform how they relate to their menstruating bodies.

Upper-caste women face societal restrictions when it comes to discussing menstruation, while lower-class Dalit women often struggle with limited resources, such as access to proper menstrual products like cloth or sanitary napkins. Due to this unavailability, they are forced to use ash, hay, or even dirty cloth as a substitute for safe menstrual products.

Such circumstances have detrimental effects on the well-being of menstruators, impacting them physically, mentally, and socially. Besides educational setbacks caused by missed classes, individuals frequently resort to prolonged usage of menstrual items, thereby increasing their vulnerability to cervical cancer, toxic shock syndrome, and other health complications associated with overusing such products, as indicated by research findings.
By the patriarchal and caste notions of purity and pollution, all women are considered impure and untouchable during menstruation. But for Dalits, pollution and untouchability start from birth and never ends. The upper-caste women become polluting and untouchable only when they are menstruating. But, even during her periods, when she herself becomes an untouchable, the upper caste woman holds the Dalits, as untouchables and polluting, periods or no periods.
Additionally, upper-caste women experience isolation during their periods, being prohibited from entering the kitchen, dining with their families, or engaging in sexual activity. On the other hand, lower-class women do not have the luxury of taking a break from their household chores and physically demanding jobs as manual scavengers, construction workers, or agricultural labourers during menstruation. Therefore, in a capitalist society, the stigma associated with menstruation is also inextricably linked to power–the power to define what is considered “normal” and what is abject. These power relationships manifest in many ways, for example, the power of upper-caste and class people to authorize forced sterilizations of Dalit women with disabilities because it makes it easier to “manage” menstruation.

Conclusion

Period poverty is not simply a social concern; it is a complex issue that goes beyond the borders of the Indian diaspora. Addressing this challenge, particularly in India, requires a multi-faceted approach that acknowledges the intricate interplay of caste, class, and gender inequalities that contribute to this problem. To effectively combat period poverty, we need to emphasize both immediate measures and long-term systemic changes.
Foremost, it is imperative to ensure accessible and affordable menstrual products for everyone, particularly those in economically and socially marginalized communities. This entails initiatives like subsidizing or providing free menstrual products in schools, public spaces, and healthcare facilities. Additionally, we must implement comprehensive menstrual hygiene education programs aimed at dispelling taboos and promoting healthy practices. Accomplishing this requires immediate policy reforms, increased government investments, and support from non-governmental organizations.
Moreover, we must challenge and dismantle the patriarchal and caste-based norms that perpetuate menstrual stigma. This involves engaging communities, leaders, and institutions in dialogues that confront deeply rooted prejudices. Promoting inclusivity in feminist movements and recognizing the diverse experiences of menstruators is also extremely crucial. Finally, economic empowerment plays a pivotal role in combating period poverty. Job opportunities, fair wages, and social support systems should be strengthened to ensure that individuals from lower-class and caste backgrounds can afford menstrual products without sacrificing their basic necessities.
In conclusion, the discourse surrounding menstruation and hygiene in the context of poverty and caste exhibits a range of complex dynamics. It is crucial to address these multifaceted issues and work towards comprehensive solutions that recognize the intersecting factors of gender, class, caste, and other identities while challenging the existing power structures and dismantling the stigma surrounding menstruation. By doing so, we can strive towards a more inclusive and equitable society that ensures the well-being and dignity of all menstruators.

References

Authorship Credits

Soumya Arora is a final-year student at Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, pursuing a Major in Political Science. She is very passionate about intersectional feminism, gender studies, social justice, and equality. She exhibits a keen interest in socio-political developments, empowerment of marginalized communities, subaltern studies, and policy discourse.

Editing Credits

Prachi Oberoi is an undergraduate student at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi pursuing a B.A. Political Science Honors. Her keen interests lie in the topics like gender equality, environmentalism, and international relations. With every academic piece that she is associated with, she tries to broaden her intellectual horizons and share a novel, yet important learning to the world!

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