Due to an almost decade-long civil war, Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Middle East. With almost 80% (approximately 26.38 million) of the country’s population now living in poverty, girls and women are not able to always have access to menstrual products. For girls living in poverty in Yemen, getting their period could completely change their lives. The effects of poverty on menstruating women are often a neglected topic. ‘Period poverty’ refers to the situation where menstrual products and other necessities may not be obtainable. In some cases, period poverty may be a factor driving many people further into extreme poverty. 

Education and Mental Health

As of October 2023, UNICEF reported that there were already more than 2.7 million children in Yemen out of school. The budget for schools and the education sector have not received significant attention due to the economic crisis and conflict. Therefore, when at school, children lack the basic resources they need to have a safe and comfortable learning experience. 

Due to the poor levels of sanitation, many of the schools will not have access to toilets or sanitary products. This means that many girls will stay home and have to miss days of school every month, to cope with their period safely at home, often resulting in them falling behind and failing their classes. Some young women may even have to leave their education as they would not be able to efficiently continue with their studies while doing this every month. Leaving school may lead a girl’s family into further poverty as there would be fewer chances to earn money without an education. 

The World Bank Group has been working to help period poverty in Yemen by constructing sanitation facilities in schools, allowing girls to be able to stay in school and have proper access to toilets and sanitation, therefore reducing the number of girls dropping out.

Period poverty may also lead to severe mental health issues. Mood is heavily affected during a woman’s cycle and some even fall into deep depression as a symptom of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Living in poverty may have already taken a toll on a woman’s mental health, but experiencing their period monthly further affects their quality of life.

Cultural Impacts 

Along with the current civil conflict, the role of being a woman further adds to how vulnerable a person is in Yemen. Many countries in the Middle East still carry a stigma concerning periods. These countries, like Yemen, may refrain from seeing periods as a natural process but rather as something unclean or something to be ashamed of. Due to the way many view periods, it is often easy for them to not discuss the topic at all. This means that many girls do not learn about their periods, and how to prepare for the day it arrives. Due to both cultural and religious taboos, women may experience exclusion from activities or segregated from men, meaning that they may not always get the help they would need during this time i.e. the help of a male doctor. This limits their ability to educate themselves on menstruation. 

In Yemen, the responsibility of the household usually falls on the women. Expectations are that they cook, clean, fetch water and take care of the children. Since the beginning of the civil war in 2014, the number of female-led households has risen. This has made it increasingly harder for those living in poverty to cope with these tasks while on their period. Those who have had to leave education due to their period may have to enter into marriages for the financial benefit of their families. 

Sanitary Products and Hygiene

The severity of period poverty in Yemen means that there is minimal access to sanitary products for females living in poverty. The women often will not have a supply of pads and tampons and are not likely to be able to afford them. Some may even stand for a prolonged time just so they do not sit and stain anything with blood. Limited resources mean that many women have to use rags and pieces of cloth that may not always be clean.

The shortage of drinkable water also affects the periods of women. The World Bank declares Yemen as one of the world’s most “water scarce” nations in the world, with more than 18 million people in the country not having access to clean drinking water. The need for clean water is not only for consumption, as it is also necessary for hygiene purposes. Poor hygiene and the use of unclean products can be very harmful leading to irritation, infection or even Toxic Shock Syndrome. 

The French NGO Premiere Urgence Internationale, has been fighting period poverty in Yemen by distributing reusable pads. It began their distributing pads in the north of the country, and as of 2022, were able to hand out this product to those in the southern city of Aden. They have also used this as an opportunity to teach some women how to create reusable pads. This has helped some women gain an insight into menstruation that they may have had before. Making these pads also allows them to educate more young women on their periods and even how to produce their own sanitary pads. 

Looking Ahead

The fight against period poverty in Yemen has only gotten more intense as the country’s conflict continues. Girls and women have struggled thus far for sanitary products, and the future of menstruation in Yemen is still uncertain. However, with the help of organizations like Premiere Urgence Internationale, women in Yemen can at least have more support and education about their periods, allowing their time of the month to be a little more bearable. 

– Fejiro Efih
Photo: Flickr