What is period poverty?

Simply put, period poverty is defined as having a lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints or negative stigmas associated with menstruation. While many people view period products as essential items, they may forget these products are a significant, additional expense each month.

How much to period supplies cost each month?

On average, period supplies and medication costs approximately $25+ per month, and costs have increased over 22% due to recent inflation. In Georgia, all of these products are taxed and not considered essential items (vote to help remove the tax on these essential hygiene supplies!).

How does this impact Savannah and the Lowcountry community?

The impact of period poverty is significant. According to a study conducted by U by Kotex and the Alliance for Period Supplies, one in four people struggled to purchase period supplies within the last year due to a lack of income. Two in five low-income women reported missing work, school or similar everyday life events due to the lack of financial resources and access to period supplies and these instances were linked to reported feelings of embarrassment, disappointment and depression. Period poverty has a direct link with self-perception and mental health. *Excerpt from Forbes.com

The Georgia STOMP Coalition shares that “providing menstrual products in schools is essential to ensuring a student’s education isn’t negatively impacted because of a lack of supplies. The impacts of these products reach far beyond a single classroom or school campus; research shows that a girl’s preparedness for puberty affects her sexual and reproductive outcomes, as well as her sense of self. A survey of Georgia school nurses, prepared by Georgia STOMP and delivered with the assistance of the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Association of School Nurses, documents that when products aren’t supplied by school systems, nurses and other school staff bear these costs personally.”

You can learn much more about the impact of period poverty in the State of Georgia in this report from the Alliance for Period Supplies.

What is the “period tax”?

Under current Georgia law, menstrual products are taxed at the full 4% plus local county taxes. This tax is assessed primarily on women, who are already financially disadvantaged in our state. 1 in 5 Georgia women live in poverty (20% vs 12% of Georgia men) and 2/3 of minimum wage jobs are held by women. Females in Georgia earn 81% of what men earn for the same positions. Along with several other states (over 30!) in the United States, we believe menstrual products should be exempt from state taxes like groceries, prescriptions, personal medical devices, hearing aids and prosthetics. This tax is discriminatory and should be eliminated.

Safety-net programs such as WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) and Food Stamps awarded through SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) do not cover the cost for diapers or period products.

How can we help end period poverty?

There isn’t a single solution to solving period poverty, but organizations like OTM, advocacy groups like Georgia STOMP, and individuals can come together to help tackle the issue in several ways. Engaging kids in education, becoming familiar with these hygiene items, and everyday conversations that normalize menstruation is key to ending taboos around this natural process. OTM collects and distributes menstrual products throughout coastal Georgia to help meet the need of our neighbors (with loads of help!) and regularly visits with local and national lawmakers to discuss solutions to these everyday, natural situations.

We are proud members of Georgia STOMP, a statewide coalition of advocacy, service, and professional organizations addressing the issues of menstrual equity and period poverty in Georgia. We also are members of the Alliance for Period Supplies, a national organization comprised of Menstrual Equity Supply Programs that collect, warehouse and distribute menstrual/period products in their local communities .

We encourage you to get involved to learn more about how to end period poverty!