JOHOR Wanita PKR chief Napsiah Khamis has rubbished Nurul Hidayah Ahmad Zahid’s earlier claim that period poverty is not an issue in Malaysia.
The chairperson of non-governmental organisation (NGO) Bidadari said that both the NGO and Wanita Keadilan have spent nearly two years tackling the issue of period poverty through the Hearts Charity campaign.
Napsiah, who has worked with women affected by period poverty, went on to recall her encounters with homeless women who resorted to using toilet paper in lieu of sanitary pads, or pieces of cloth recovered from rubbish bins.
“Some women even use stockings during menstruation while others use batik cloth or old clothes to reduce cost.
“There are also teenage girls who have missed school because they lack menstrual pads, while some women don’t even change their pads all day to save costs.
“How could Nurul Hidayah still say that period poverty is not an issue in the country?
“Is she equating her lavish lifestyle to that of other women? Is poverty a laughing matter?” Napsiah demanded in a statement.
Condemning Nurul Hidayah’s remarks, Napsiah urged the Government to take period poverty seriously and seek the necessary solutions.
“Sanitary pads do not cost a lot”
The issue came to light after Putrajaya under Budget 2020 said that it would provide free personal hygiene kits every month to about 130,000 teenage girls from B40 families to tackle the issue of period poverty.
Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said an estimated 130,000 teenage girls from B40 families do not have access to hygiene products such as menstrual pads due to financial constraints.
Nurul Hidayah had however ridiculed a news report on the issue, alongside the notion that some women were reportedly getting pregnant to avoid menstruation for nine months due to the fact that they cannot afford menstrual pads.
“I am aware of [the idea that people are getting pregnant to avoid periods]. But not in Malaysia. Where are the exorbitantly-priced menstrual pads? I do research on pads, and I had even launched a menstrual pad brand so I know,” she wrote on Instagram.
She went on to claim that the issue of period poverty in Malaysia is not as severe as in other countries like India due to assistance from NGOs and zakat centres and insisted that giving free pads is not a viable long-term solution. – Nov 3, 2021
