Erika Hilton’s project to combat menstrual poverty in Brazil is approved

This past Tuesday, the Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights of the Chamber of Deputies approved Bill 1621/24, which proposes to include women in emergency situations, such as extreme weather events and public calamities, in the Protection and Promotion Program of Menstrual Health.

This program was managed by the Federal Government, with the function of distributing free sanitary pads to people in vulnerable situations.

The project is authored by the deputy Erika Hilton(Psol-SP) and received a favorable opinion from the rapporteur, deputy Maria Arraes (Solidarity-PE).

With the recent tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul, we noticed a gap in the law, which needs to protect women in extreme situations,” he said. Arraes.

The deputy hilton celebrated the approval on social media, highlighting that the program must also include victims of climate catastrophes, guaranteeing menstrual dignity for all. “Menstrual dignity is a right!”, she wrote, thanking the support of Maria Arraes and the parliamentarians on the committee.

Next Steps

The project will be conclusively analyzed by the Social Security, Social Assistance, Childhood, Adolescence and Family, Finance and Taxation, Constitution, Justice and Citizenship committees. To become law, it still needs to be approved by the House and the Senate.

Menstrual Poverty in Brazil

According to a report by the United Nations Population Fund and UNICEF, around 321,000 girls study in schools without adequate toilets.

In the country, approximately 15 million people who menstruate do not have access to menstrual hygiene products, which is equivalent to one in four people.

Another study, according to Glamor Magazine, the Livre para Menstruar project points out that women in the poorest 5% would need to work up to four years to pay for the pads needed throughout their reproductive life.