Discussion on sustainable menstrual health management, without adequately considering lived realities compounded by the climate crisis, may unfairly place a disproportionate burden on menstruating individuals in the Global South.

The 2015 Constitution of Nepal guarantees fundamental rights, including protection against untouchability based on physical condition (Article 24), the right to a clean environment (Article 30), and women’s reproductive health rights (Article 38). Despite these important provisions, a recent study by WaterAid found that over two-thirds of women in Nepal face exclusion from social activities, schooling, or work during menstruation because of entrenched social and cultural beliefs, taboos, and inadequate sanitation facilities. Challenges in menstrual health management are echoed across the globe, with an estimated 500 million people lacking access to menstrual products and proper facilities.

Nepal’s vulnerability to climate change adds another layer to these struggles. Despite contributing only 0.1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, Nepal ranks 10th on the Climate Risk Index for 2021. The country’s agricultural sector, crucial for its economy, has been severely impacted by agricultural droughts caused by historically low snowfall in the mountains and insufficient rainfall across the country. Women bear the brunt of climate change effects, constituting 80% of climate change-induced displacements globally; as well as face heightened vulnerability as they represent the majority of the world’s impoverished population.

Alarmingly, post-disaster economic hardships often hinder families from affording menstrual products. This is exacerbated by Nepal’s imposition of a 13% value-added tax (VAT) on menstrual products despite a citizen-led movement in favour of its exemption, advocating for period products to be added to the existing federal law that exempts VAT from other products such as art, contraceptives, and medicine. Initiatives like free pad distribution in schools suffer from poor implementation and corruption, leaving menstruating individuals without proper means to manage their periods. On the other hand, the global issue of period poverty and increasing demands of one-time use disposable period products raise important concerns about the sustainability of current menstrual health management (MHM) practices. The vicious cycle of ‘production is pollution’ prompts reflection on our contribution to both the climate crisis and period poverty.

Climate Crisis and Menstrual Health Management in Nepal

Nepal’s staggering annual consumption of 127 million disposable menstrual pads, generating 120 tons of waste, vividly illustrates the environmental toll of such products. Each pad’s 500-year decomposition cycle contributes significantly to land, air, and water pollution, directly affecting Nepal’s agricultural and tourism sectors. Mounting waste management challenges exacerbate pollution, raising local and international concerns due to the crucial roles mountain ranges and agricultural lands play in global and local ecosystems.

Often, escalating climate crises force reliance on single-use plastic pads, even for traditional users of reusable products. This shift, reinforced by environmental degradation, cultural taboos and lack of proper sanitation facilities in Nepal, emphasises the complexity of managing menstrual health amid climate-driven obstacles. Yet due to post-climate crisis economic strain, opting for single-use plastic pads poses a dilemma. Menstruating individuals face choosing between costly yet one-time-use plastic-pads or reusable pads without access to clean water and sanitation facilities, exacerbated by climate catastrophes. This underscores the nexus of period poverty, environmental degradation, and socio-economic vulnerability amidst climate challenges.

Can menstrual health management (MHM) problems and the climate crisis be solved by promoting reusable products alone? As the WaterAid study shows, 48% of Nepalis lack safe sanitation, with 75% using contaminated water. Pushing for the adoption of sustainable menstrual products without considering the contextual realities, including the disproportionate impact of the climate crisis, especially for countries like Nepal, unfairly burdens menstruating individuals in the Global South. Rather than solely placing responsibility on menstruating individuals in the Global South, global and local policies and practices need to intervene to address the ‘production is pollution’ paradigm effectively.

Glocalisation of Menstrual Policies

In June 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights addressed the Human Rights Council, marking the first acknowledgment of menstruation in the Council. Despite this milestone, global instruments like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) have overlooked menstrual health. Over the past decade, activists and young feminists, particularly from the Global South, have played a vital role in shaping international discourse on menstrual health.

Building on its constitutional and legal commitments towards environmental and gender rights, Nepal has internationally ratified the Paris Climate Agreement and its Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2020. The country has pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and aims to integrate gender equity and social inclusion into achieving NDC targets. All 753 local governments are tasked with developing and implementing climate-resilient, gender-responsive adaptation plans by 2030. Additionally, Nepal has witnessed public interest litigation addressing menstrual discrimination, citizen-led movements to remove VAT on menstrual products, and public-private partnerships supporting menstrual health in schools and public places.

In conclusion, the Nepali experience shows that innovative initiatives will better contribute to the global discourse on menstrual policy and practice if these initiatives are informed by the ground realities of challenges aggravated by the climate crisis, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Read more:

• Menstruation Matters for the Realization of Human Rights
• Nepal registers First Same-Sex Marriage: A Glimmer of Hope for Global LGBTQIA+
• The European Court of Human Rights’ Gendered Climate Docket: KlimaSeniorinnen and Duarte Agostinho
• Giving Voice to the Vulnerable: How Advisory Opinions Have the Potential to Advance Climate Justice through International Courts