RESEARCH PAPER
Period poverty among women after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake in Turkey – a cross-sectional study
More details
Hide details
1
Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Munzur University, Turkey
2
Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Firat University, Turkey
3
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Yalova University Turkey
4
Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Midwifery, Mardin Artuklu University, Turkey
5
Department of Adult Autism, Mersey Care NHS Willis House, Prescot, United Kingdom
6
Faculty of Health Sciences and Psychology, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszów, Poland
Corresponding author
Małgorzata Nagórska
Institute of Health Sciences and Psychology, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszów, Kopisto 2a, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction and objective:
Menstrual poverty lies at the intersection of poverty, sustainability, reproductive rights, and
gender inequality. The study investigates menstrual poverty among women affected by the 2023 earthquake in Turkey.
Material and methods:
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between 24 April – 24 May 2023 with 400 women
impacted by the earthquake. Data were collected via social media using a survey form. Chi-square tests, Bonferroni test, and binary logistic regression model were used for statistical analysis.
Results:
The mean age of participants was 27.27 ± 8.40 years; 69.5% had higher education, 57.0% lived in urban areas, and 90.5% had no chronic disease. A significant relationship was found between access to menstrual products and basic needs (clean water, toilet paper, soap, safe toilet access, and healthcare) during menstruation after the earthquake (p<0.05). A significant correlation was also observed between disruptions to the menstrual cycle and the following variables: lack of privacy, perception that lack of privacy affected menstruation, healthcare access, and difficulty obtaining menstrual products (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
Most participants faced difficulties accessing menstrual products, water, hygiene supplies, privacy, and
healthcare. Those living in tents or containers reported greater challenges. These barriers contributed to menstrual poverty and impacted women’s cycles. As menstrual health and hygiene are basic needs and human rights, menstrual poverty must be addressed globally
REFERENCES (25)
3.
Álvarez-Díaz JA. Gender, Disasters and Mortality: Earthquake in Mexico City, September 19th, 2017. Ciênc. Saúde Coletiva. 2020; 25(7):2831–2836. doi: 10.1590/1413-81232020257.30802018.
4.
Sarı H, Özel M, Akkoç MF, et al. First-Week Analysis after the Turkey Earthquakes: Demographic and Clinical Outcomes of Victims. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2023;11:1–7. doi:10.1017/S1049023X23000493.
5.
Alam K, Rahman MH. Women in natural disasters: a case study from southern coastal region of Bangladesh. J Disaster Risk Reduct. 2014;8:68–82. doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2014.01.003.
6.
Kara P, Nazik E. Deprem Kaynaklı Afetlerin Kadın Sağlığına Etkisive Hemşirelerin Sorumlulukları. Uluborlu Mesleki Bilim. Derg 2023;6(2):103–117.
7.
Sommer M, Torondel B, Hennegan J, et al. How addressing menstrual health and hygiene may enable progress across the Sustainable Development Goals. Glob. Health Action. 2021;14(1):1920315.
8.
Rossouw L, Ross H. Understanding period poverty: socio-economic inequalities in menstrual hygiene management in eight low-and middleincome countries. IJERPH. 2021;18(5):2571. doi:10.3390/ijerph18052571.
9.
Macura B, Dickin S, Sharma Waddington H, et al. Gender and social outcomes of WASH interventions: synthesis of research evidence, CEDIL Syntheses Working Paper 7, CEDIL, Oxford, 2023. doi: 10.51744/ CSWP7.
10.
Yıldırım PD. The ignored aspect of social inequalities: An investigation of menstrual poverty in Turkey from the perspective of social policy. Celal Bayar Univ. Sos Bilim Derg. 2024;22(01):167–183. doi:10.18026/cbayarsos.1421316.
11.
Grant M, Cavill S, Francis N, et al. A call to action: organizational, professional, and personal change for gender transformative WASH programming. Waterlines. 2020;39(2&3):219–237. doi:10.3362/1756-3488.20-00004.
12.
Rezwana N, Pain R. Gender-based violence before, during, and after cyclones: slow violence and layered disasters. Disasters. 2021;45(4):741–761. doi:10.1111/disa.12441.
13.
Demir E, Öter EG. Afetve Acil Durumlarda Toplumsal Cinsiyetve Kadın Sağlığına Etkileri. Proceeding Book of 2nd International Conference on Scientific and Academic Research. 2023; vol. 1: ICSAR 2023.
14.
Yılmaz RC, Kocamaz D. Yıkıcı deprem sonrasında erken rehabilitatif müdahaleler ile sakatlık önlenebilir: Kahramanmaraş-pazarcık depremi sonrası rehabilitasyon çalışanlarına mektup. Turkish J Fam Med Prim Care. 2023;17(1):1–5. doi:10.21763/tjfmpc.1251696.
15.
United Nations Turkey, 2023. UNFPA on the ground to reach women and girls in Turkey and Syria after devastating earthquakes.
https://turkiye.un.org/tr/2183...%
C4%B1ndan-t%C3%BCrkiye-ve-suriye%E2%80%99dekikad%
C4%B1nlara-ve-k%C4%B1z-%C3%A7ocuklar%C4%B1na (access:
2024.05.05).
16.
Kaplan V, Alkasaby M, Düken ME, et al. The impact of earthquakes on women: assessing women’s mental health in aftermath of the Kahramanmaraş-centred earthquake in Turkey. J Public Health. 2024;46(3):510–519.
17.
Ilgın HÖ, Karagül D. Afet süreçlerinde kadınlara yönelik toplumsal cinsiyet eşitsizliğinde sivil toplum kuruluşu çalışanlarının deneyimleri: Çanakkale ili örneği. JOEEP. 2023;7(2):85–103.
18.
Budhathoki SS, Bhattachan M, Pokharel PK, et al. Reusable sanitary towels: promoting menstrual hygiene in post-earthquake Nepal. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care. 2017;43(2):157–159. doi:10.1136/jfprhc-2016-101481.
19.
Thurston AM, Stöckl H, Ranganathan M. Natural hazards, disasters and violence against women and girls: a global mixed-methods systematic review. BMJ Global Health. 2021;6(4):e004377. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004377.
20.
Kartal B, Çıtak G. Being a woman in disasters: experiences of disaster workers in Turkey. Global Health Promotion. 2024. 17579759241255069.
21.
Özşahin Z. Determinants of the desire to avoid pregnancy after the disaster of the century in Turkey. Women’s Health. 2024;24(1):496.
22.
Soeiro RE, Rocha L, Surita FG, et al. Period poverty: menstrual health hygiene issues among adolescent and young Venezuelan migrant women at the northwestern border of Brazil. Reproductive Health. 2021;18(1):238. doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01285-7.
23.
Hirani SAA. Barriers to Women’s Menstrual Hygiene Practices during Recurrent Disasters and Displacement: A Qualitative Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024;21(2):153.
24.
Samanci Tekin C, Aydin G. Impacts of disasters on women: the case of Kahramanmaras Earthquake sequence. Arch Women’s Ment Health. 2024;1–10. doi:10.1007/s00737-024-01543-0.
25.
Van Leeuwen C, Torondel B. Exploring menstrual practices and potential acceptability of reusable menstrual underwear among a Middle Eastern population living in a refugee setting. International J Women’s Health. 2018;349–360.