Mamatoto Village, a Black-led maternal health collective providing perinatal support services for Black women across the District, has created a first-of-its-kind Reproductive Health Pantry designed to combat period poverty in the nation’s capital.
“It’s a way to give back to the community,” said Mariah Barnette, director of development and communications at Mamatoto Village.
According to the Journal of Global Health Reports, “period poverty” refers to the lack of access to menstrual products, proper hygiene facilities, waste management, and related education, which significantly impacts many women worldwide, leading to physical, mental, and emotional challenges.
Various studies show the growing trend of women and girls struggling to afford period products. A 2021 study conducted by the period product brand U by Kotex reveals two in five people are affected by period poverty.
Additionally, a 2019 study observing low-income women in St. Louis, Missouri, found a startling 64% of residents unable to afford menstrual hygiene supplied during the previous year, having to resort to tissues, rags, used cloth, paper towels, or children’s diapers to make due.
Further, research indicates that period poverty is a significant contributor to absenteeism among school-aged girls, as many feel unable to attend school while menstruating if they cannot afford necessary supplies.
Monthly menstruation comes with its own host of symptoms including irritability, anxiety, depressed mood, or mood swings. However, for women and girls struggling to access vital hygiene products, period poverty often leaves a devastating impact on mental health.
Headquartered in Ward 7, Mamatoto Village, a local nonprofit, witnessed firsthand the persistent poverty hampering resident access to menstrual hygiene and reproductive health needs, inspiring the innovative effort.
“It’s a way to promote autonomy,” Barnette told The Informer. “It’s a way to [communicate to residents that] if you can’t get services here, you can still come to Mamatoto Village for something.”
Helping Restore Dignity to Those Suffering in Silence
Two years ago in 2022, the D.C. Council unanimously passed Council member Brooke Pinto’s Period Equity Righting an Injustice of District Residents Act of 2022, also known as “the Period Act.”
The long-awaited legislation aimed to provide free period products in all District government buildings such as recreation centers, libraries, and any building that “serves the city’s most historically underserved residents including local shelters and congregate care facilities.”
Although the legislation was authored by Council member Pinto, Council members also co-introduced the legislation to help provide menstrual products for those in need, while expanding menstrual education in schools citywide.
“Accessing period products should be as ubiquitous as accessing toilet paper in public facilities. Our public places support the everyday lives of the residents of D.C., and by taking this action, we take a fundamental step toward gender equality,” Pinto said.
While there is a lack of specific research detailing the percentage of residents impacted by period poverty in the District, experts have found a close correlation between period poverty and food insecurity, further suggesting that roughly 10.6% of local residents are experiencing difficulty accessing menstrual hygiene products.
Further, poverty and mental health are closely intertwined, with the strain of financial hardship contributing to a range of psychological challenges. Adding to that underlying stress, women reported having experienced period poverty show greater odds of poor mental health.
Installing their reproductive health pantry on the grounds of their health center located on Sheriff Road NE, the community pantry provides menstrual kits of various sized pads, tampons, and sexual health kits to help empower women and girls overall.
The pantry was made available on Nov. 26, and according to Barnette, more than 50% of the menstrual kits and 80% of the sexual-health kits were depleted, just over the first week, underscoring the need for this service.
Currently, the pantry is 100% donation-based. The organization is seeking sponsors and brand partnerships for 2025.
“We hope that it just gives people a sense of self and boosts their dignity and their self-esteem, allowing them to know that they have choices. We’re here to help you with those choices,” Barnette said.
