Period Poverty
What is Period Poverty?
- No student should fall behind in school because she lacks basic supplies.
- No adult should lose wages or opportunities over something so fundamental.
- No one should be forced to choose between period products and other essential needs.
By The Numbers
North Texas
Period Poverty Facts
1 in 4
women and girls in North Texas struggle to afford or access period products each month.
1 in 3
low-income women and girls miss work or school monthly due to lack of menstrual products.
150,000
female-led households in the Dallas–Fort Worth area living below the federal poverty line.
LOCAL IMPACT
In a City of Dallas pilot program, 43% of individuals receiving free menstrual products reported missing school or work because they lacked period supplies.
TEXAS PERIOD
POVERTY DATA
1 in 6
Women and girls in Texas ages 12–44 live below the federal poverty level.
6.7 MILLION+
Texas has over 6.7 million women and girls of menstruating age, and more than 1.1 million live in poverty.
80%
Nearly 80% of female students in Texas attend Title I schools, meaning many come from low-income households.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
2 IN 5
People in the United States report struggling to afford period products.
1 IN 5
Teens say they have experienced difficulty affording menstrual products.
Period poverty affects more people than we may realize. This includes someone in our own communities, such as a neighbor, a colleague, or a friend.