Fitri Lestari
Just Access Legal Fellow
menstrual health, period poverty and human rights, sexual and reproductive health, international women’s day 2025
Coming from a poor family, I could not afford menstrual tampons, even though they cost less than one US dollar at the time.
I remember being a teenager, bleeding through my skirt at home. My mother, a domestic worker with limited financial resources, handed me old clothes to manage it. She said nothing—not because she didn’t care, but because she had no means to provide more.
At school, I bled more than once. You can imagine what it looked like with a long white skirt. I did not have another long white uniform to change into, so I had no choice. Everybody saw, but I did not care. I was brave enough to show it. I believe menstruation is my body’s authority and power because it is a normal physiological and biological process.
Menstrual hygiene is a critical component of sexual and reproductive health and rights.
As an intersectional feminist who believes that ‘the personal is political,’ I recognise that many poor girls in Indonesia face similar challenges. As data from Badan Pusat Statistik indicates there are currently 10,730,583 girls aged 15-19 in Indonesia. Menstrual health is deeply connected to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and the climate crisis. Menstruation is not just about hygiene; it is about dignity, access, health, well-being, and gender equality. For poor girls in Indonesia, managing menstruation is an overwhelming challenge exacerbated by poverty, social stigma, menstrual taboos, gender-based violence, inadequate policies, and the worsening climate crisis.
In honour of International Women’s Day and this year’s campaign theme of “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”, I would like to elevate the voices of women and girls, as well as to share my insights on menstruation, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and the climate crisis.
The Struggles of Poor Girls in Indonesia
Menstrual hygiene is a critical component of SRHR, yet millions of girls in Indonesia lack access to basic sanitary products, clean water, and even toilets.
This issue is particularly severe for those living in slums, by polluted rivers, or in rural areas where hygiene sanitation infrastructure is lacking. Some girls resort to using old clothes without any proper cleaning—unsafe alternatives that expose them to infections and long-term reproductive health risks.
Indeed, the financial burden of purchasing menstrual products further marginalises poor girls. In Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, a pack of sanitary pads can cost around USD 0.99 per month, a price that is unaffordable for families struggling to meet basic needs. Due to these economic constraints, many girls miss school during their periods, leading to educational disparities that exacerbate gender inequality. According to UNESCO, period poverty is a key reason why millions of adolescent girls drop out of school globally.
In response, the menstruation movement Biyung Indonesia provides empowerment and training in creating safe, reusable menstrual pads from clean fabric. This initiative promotes menstrual justice and aims to end period poverty while also reducing waste and helping to protect the environment.
Exploitation and Workplace Struggles
The struggles surrounding menstrual health exist beyond girls’ experiences with school. Poor women of the working class, such as garment workers in exploitative factory conditions, face severe challenges to managing menstruation. Many factories impose strict production targets, long working hours, and limited access to restroom breaks. Some employers even require proof of menstruation to grant menstrual leave—such as showing a used sanitary pad—a humiliating practice that violates women’s dignity and bodily autonomy. Lindah, a worker who shared her story, said:
Besides being unable to access the toilet, the heat was unbearable—there was no fan, and no ventilation. I just had to accept it and get used to it. I couldn’t even tell the difference between sweat and anything else.
Other employers demand a doctor’s note to justify taking a menstrual day off, despite menstruation being a natural bodily function, not an illness. According to Majalah Sedane, a labor rights publication, female workers in Indonesia’s garment industry frequently suffer from urinary tract infections due to restricted toilet access. These exploitative work conditions reflect the broader systemic oppression that poor women face in their fight for basic rights.
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The Intersection of Menstruation, Poverty, and Sanitation
Limited access to clean water exacerbates menstrual health challenges for poor girls in Indonesia. Many impoverished communities rely on contaminated rivers for bathing, washing clothes, and even defecating. For menstruating girls, maintaining hygiene in such conditions is nearly impossible, increasing their vulnerability to infections.
Poor menstrual hygiene can lead to serious health complications, including urinary tract infections, reproductive illnesses, infertility, and birth-related risks. Additionally, inadequate sanitation and a lack of access to proper handwashing facilities can contribute to the spread of infections such as hepatitis B and thrush.
Addressing structural barriers around menstrual health is essential to ensuring dignity, advancing gender equality and public health.
Beyond the health risks, patriarchal norms reinforce period stigma and even harassment during menstruation. In many religious communities, menstruating girls are barred from participating in religious activities, entering places of worship, or engaging in certain social interactions. These restrictions fuel shame and silence, preventing open discussions about menstrual health and broader sexual and reproductive health issues and rights.
I personally experienced this exclusion. When I wanted to attend Muslim education classes TPA (Taman Pendidikan Al-Qur’an or Al-Qur’an Education), I was not allowed to join because I was menstruating. This reinforced the message that menstruation was something impure, further alienating girls like me from social and religious spaces.
Addressing these structural barriers is essential to ensuring dignity, health, and equality for all menstruating individuals. Efforts must focus on improving sanitation infrastructure, providing free and affordable menstrual products, and challenging societal taboos to normalise menstruation.
Without urgent action, the intersection of climate change and menstrual health will continue to deepen existing inequalities.
Access to adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, along with appropriate menstrual hygiene materials and an education on best practices, is crucial. Fostering a supportive environment where menstruation is managed without embarrassment or stigma empowers girls and women to fully participate in education, work, and social life, ultimately advancing gender equality and public health. This is crucial now more than ever as the climate crisis continues to escalate.
End of part 1. To read Part 2 of this post, click here.
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