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

Supriya Garikipati and Penelope A. Phillips-Howard

No 202211, Working Papers from University of Liverpool, Department of Economics

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.

Keywords: period poverty; menstrual hygiene management; asymmetric information; informed choice; period products; India. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 30 pages
Date: 2022
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