Why should she suffer? Why shouldn't you sign? A letter to the Prime Minister

Hello,
First and foremost I would like to be honest in saying I don’t know much about politics, so I have absolutely no idea if this concerns you. But I do know you have quite a bit of power and so please let this issue concern you. Secondly I hope you are having a good day; good days are good for the soul.

I recently read an article by Maya Oppenhiem, it was about homeless women living on the streets and what happens when they are going through their periods. I was lying on my bed reading the article laying down and I sat up out of shock. It never occurred to me how traumatic the situation might be. How absolutely low one must feel, to not only have to deal with the typical struggles that come with living on the street; fear, weather, loneliness and hunger. But the complete and utter discomfort of dealing with a period as well would finish me. Honestly I wouldn’t be strong enough. Reading the article I learned that if stealing tampons and sanitary towels weren’t an option, then ladies would resort to using tissue from public restrooms. As a female I can tell you that periods are hell! It’s crazy to think they only occur 12 times a year, running a course of an average 84 days out of 365. Because the moment we get them, the moment we feel the watermelon pulsating in our wombs, and see the spawn of the devil line our underwear; we die a little inside. Despite what ‘Always’ tell you, there is no such thing as a ‘happy period’. As a student living quite nicely, I have no problem affording the essentials I need to conquer the period war. But what about those who are living on the streets? What about those females who sit weakly, in pain, sitting in their own moisture of red, praying for a kind lady to walk past so they can ask for anything to sort the situation out?

I have to ask – why are these essentials not free? Why isn’t a lady not able to go to a clinic and ask for pads? I mean, let’s say for example in protest all the ladies of the world decided to show you how the world would be, had we not be able to afford the essentials. Can you imagine the absolute nightmare? Sorry to be graphic, but maybe the shock in the description I will now present with; will allow you to understand. Ladies walking around with blood dripping down their legs, the moist stench of fish oozing from in between their legs. Little bits of blood clots building up on their knickers lining. Ladies sitting, to a loud squelch sound as the tissue, hardly able to contain all the wet becomes a weak sponge of deep accumulating blood. Bus and train seats with blood infused bum prints caused by ladies not able to get to a public restroom quick enough. That sounds bloody awful! (All puns intended). Lucky though, that most people can afford these essentials! Not so lucky for those who can’t. Because that description I just painted; that left a bitter taste in your mouth. Sadly that’s the reality for some ladies.

I understand that people have creatively come up with the idea of Period essentials and therefore want to profit off this idea, I completely do. At the end of the day I’m sure the people who invented condoms still profited and they are available in clinics for free! And those who can pay should! But those who can’t, need to be offered a standard version of a sanitary towel in clinics. And of course, then brings on the question … ‘well then how do we know people who can afford it aren’t opting for the cheaper option? Well, the truth is - you don’t. But I can tell you this. Clinics are far and few compared to your local shop. They also only run for fixed hours on fixed days, in comparison to your local 24 hour shop that runs every day. The reality is anyone who can afford a pad, won’t have the time to work their period around a clinic schedule. That sort of behaviour only stems from somebody desperate. The sort of desperation a woman living on the streets, with a period brings. Please read this with care, respond back to me and give me your view. I am going to get a petition started to make period essentials free!

Thank you for reading,
Wilma Mukendi (age 21)