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Information, Choice and Menstrual Outcomes: Evidence from a CommunityBased Intervention in Indi

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  • Supriya Garikipati
  • Penelope A. Phillips-Howard

Abstract

Public policy, commercial interests and cultural taboos, and have collectively shaped menstrual outcomes in developing countries such that disposable pads gained in popularity, yet knowledge of menstrual hygiene and of reusable alternatives remained low and levels of period poverty remained high. Drawing on a community-based intervention with 277 women from India, we examine if information and choice matter for menstrual outcomes. Exposure to information and access to alternatives significantly increased preference for reusables and better waste management practices. It also improved knowledge of menstrual management and alternatives, however traditional beliefs around menstruation remain entrenched. We conclude that while prevailing informational asymmetries challenge a wider take-up of reusables, informed choice, as a policy tool, has the potential to sustainably reduce period poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Supriya Garikipati & Penelope A. Phillips-Howard, 2022. "Information, Choice and Menstrual Outcomes: Evidence from a CommunityBased Intervention in Indi," Working Papers 202211, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:liv:livedp:202211
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kelvin Oruko & Elizabeth Nyothach & Emily Zielinski-Gutierrez & Linda Mason & Kelly Alexander & John Vulule & Kayla F Laserson & Penelope A Phillips-Howard, 2015. "'He is the one who is providing you with everything so whatever he says is what you do': A Qualitative Study on Factors Affecting Secondary Schoolgirls’ Dropout in Rural Western Kenya," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-14, December.
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    3. Supriya Garikipati & Camille Boudot, 2017. "To Pad or Not to Pad: Towards Better Sanitary Care for Women in Indian Slums," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 32-51, January.
    4. Seear, Kate, 2009. "The etiquette of endometriosis: Stigmatisation, menstrual concealment and the diagnostic delay," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 1220-1227, October.
    5. George A. Akerlof, 1970. "The Market for "Lemons": Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 84(3), pages 488-500.
    6. Tanya Mahajan, 2019. "Imperfect Information in Menstrual Health and the Role of Informed Choice," Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Centre for Women's Development Studies, vol. 26(1-2), pages 59-78, February.
    7. Julie Hennegan & Paul Montgomery, 2016. "Do Menstrual Hygiene Management Interventions Improve Education and Psychosocial Outcomes for Women and Girls in Low and Middle Income Countries? A Systematic Review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, February.
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