The Period Poverty Barrier: Understanding Its Influence on Bajau Laut Women in Semporna, Sabah

Abstract

The debate regarding period poverty became a hotly debated topic when it was first raised at the Dewan Negara conference on 15th December 2021. Normally, period poverty often occurs when there is a crisis such as floods, fires and migration, this is due to the supply of menstrual equipment such as sanitary pads being affected. The revelation about period poverty started to open the eyes of many parties regarding one of the aspects of poverty that needs attention even though it is still considered a trivial and taboo issue. Aware of this situation, this study wants to see the influence of period poverty among women of the Bajau Laut community in Semporna, Sabah. This study uses an in-depth interview approach with ten informants consisting of Bajau Laut women in the waters of Semporna, Sabah who have reached puberty. The interviews are finally analyzed using the thematic method by categorizing the influence of period poverty according to themes that have been set. The findings of the study found that there are four main influences that affect period poverty, namely 1) Inadequate menstrual management products, 2) Insufficient privacy to manage menstruation, 3) Education Deficiency, and 4) Insufficient Infrastructure. In addition, this study suggests that all parties (government and NGOs) should mobilise energy to ensure that the problem of period poverty can be overcome in stages.