Support for measures to prevent menstrual precariousness among women in France 2021

On December 15, 2020, Olivier Véran, Minister of Solidarity and Health, and Elisabeth Moreno, Minister in charge of Equality between women and men, announced via a press release that the state budget to fight against menstrual precariousness would increase from one to five million euros allocated annually, starting in 2021. Among the measures that this budget could finance, some had already been experimented with in 2020, such as free menstrual protection in certain high schools and colleges, or the distribution of menstrual protection in prisons. The increase in the government's budget allocated to the issue could allow for the implementation of new measures and the strengthening of those previously tested. Yet, according to this March 2021 survey, nine out of ten French women would be in favor of extending the distribution of free menstrual protection to all public institutions.

A substantial phenomenon

Menstrual precariousness refers to the situation in which individuals who menstruate do not have sufficient economic resources to purchase menstrual protection and hygiene products during menstruation. In 2021, nearly one French woman in three had already encountered this situation in her life. This proportion was even higher among women aged between 20 and 29, 17 percent of whom were still affected by precariousness. Moreover, if women with an income of less than 900 euros per month were more concerned, a quarter of women, earning more than 2500 euros per month, had already experienced such a situation.

Implications of precariousness

The consequences and methods used to compensate for this financial deficit are diverse. Some people keep their protection longer and do not renew it as much as necessary, which can be dangerous. People who cannot afford those products can be forced to make their own protections, to use toilet paper as a substitute, or to abstain from going out to work. It is also necessary to remember that menstrual protections represent only a part of the expenses related to menstruation in the life of individuals who menstruate. Many must also devote a consequent budget to painkillers, medical appointments, or to sheets and clothes.