Climate change has induced considerable harm to women’s health, rights and livelihood yet discussions around the effects of climate change on women’s menstrual health are underdeveloped. When we talk of climate change we talk about seasonal changes and how it affects development.When people talk about the effects of climate change they barely talk about how it affects women in terms of menstrual health. Whether it’s too hot or too cold every other woman everyday is suffering from period pains. seasonal changes can take a toll on the menstrual cycles, I know this might be news to you but the colder it gets the more the pain. Some girls, and women are privileged to have warm clothes but what about the street urchins how do they survive a 5day cycle in a very cold weather, which might be raining as well. When it is cold there is some interference with blood flow thus an increase in period pain. Even hot weather contribute to worse period pains there is dehydration, vomiting, discomfort, difficulty in sleeping, basically one can barely regulate their temperature in a sudden hot weather. Climate change doesn’t really directly affect your period, but it results in a lot of other changes that can throw your cycle off balance. We can talk about hormonal imbalances. Climate change has created exacerbate problems for women especially where there is limited access to clean water, hygiene facilities and adequate menstrual hygiene supplies. The impact of climate change on period pain towards young girls is underrated and less talked about in societies.Girls and women out there are suffering from severe period pains because of the climate injustices that has resulted to climate change. With climate change there are droughts especially here in Zimbabwe which have resulted to poverty and starvation. When one has period pain they are supposed to take medication but however it becomes impossible to take medication when one is starved. Also the female face of poverty has affected periods leading to period poverty.
By Tanatsiwa Ntandoyami Chikove(LEMHster)