What is ‘Period Poverty'? Period Poverty is the inability or lack of access to sanitary products for women. The average price of a packet of tampons is $5.50 found in a study by stuff.co.nz, though this information may be slightly different today due to the article being released in 2017. By looking at this information though we can see how period poverty is a thing due to such a high price for a packet of tampons which won't last you your entire period. It really shows why many women around the world suffer from period poverty and have to prioritise putting food on the table rather than purchase necessary sanitary products as described in this quote from CBSNews "The average mother will put food on that table for their children with the last five in your pocket and she will find other ways to get the other necessities that she needs,". 

Period Poverty has forced countless women to miss out on important school or work as they are unable to afford these products. In fact, a quote from the New Zealand Government states this “We know that nearly 95,000 9-to-18-year-olds may stay at home during their periods due to not being able to afford period products. By making them freely available, we support these young people to continue learning at school,”. From this quote, we find that the New Zealand government is fully aware of the situation and what Period Poverty is and have made action to stop it from giving free access to sanitary products in schools in order to stop the inability or lack of access to sanitary products to students. 

Many women have to resort to tactics such as selling their bodies to be able to afford to both feed their children and have access to sanitary products. As seen in this quote from CBSNews "I've seen and I've heard mothers do all types of things… going out onto the streets with their babies, in and out of trucks. What's to say you're gonna come back? What's to say your child is gonna come back?" --- “That sort of thing may seem unfathomable to a lot of people selling your body just to be able to afford a tampon.” This is a huge example of period poverty. Period Poverty is the inability or lack of access to sanitary products which results in women having to choose between putting food on the table or buying necessary products for a bodily function that happens monthly. Period Poverty is women feeling forced to tactics such as selling their body because the world functions in a way which results in millions of women being unable to afford necessities for them and their children each and every month.