march 9 • 12pm PT

Poverty, lack of clean water, and unsafe sanitation all have an impact on people’s ability to manage their periods. Period poverty has damaging and sometimes long-lasting effects on the lives of women and girls, preventing many from going to school or earning a living. Amanda Klasing and Stephanie Shepherd discuss why this is a human rights issue, who is most affected, and what needs to be done to end period poverty.

in conversation with

Stephanie

Shepherd

Environmental Advocate + Entrepreneur

Amanda

Klasing

Interim Co-director, Women’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch

Stephanie Shepherd

Environmental Advocate + Entrepreneur

Amanda Klasing

Interim Co-director, Women’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch

They do not have access to clean water and sanitation, and poverty imposes an additional burden. They either cannot afford to buy menstrual hygiene supplies or they have to make impossible choices between buying food or pads. Period poverty is also not limited to the Global South.

The end result is that period poverty impacts gender equality — women and girls don’t have the same access to education and to work as men and boys do.

Amanda Klasing

Khana works to make panties accessible to girls in Uganda to help them manage their periods and stay in school. Khana panties are ethically made in the countries that receive them and they help create sustainable employment opportunities. The panties are distributed in kits that include washable pads and information about menstruation.