A 2021 statewide survey revealed that half of respondents have missed school or work because of their period. The second version of the survey is now open to track how trends have changed and if recently enacted laws have increased period product accessibility.
The surveys are conducted by the state Commission on the Status of Women and the Maʻi Movement Hawaiʻi, a local nonprofit that strives to end period poverty across the islands.
Period poverty refers to someone’s lack of access to menstrual products or education due to financial obstacles, stigma, or limited sanitation facilities. Although over 80% of respondents believe that menstrual equity is a real problem and should be treated like food insecurity, about a quarter of participants still feel shame or embarrassment when talking about their cycles.
Nikki-Ann Yee, the co-founder of the Maʻi Movement, said the cost-of-living plays a big part in the lack of access to menstrual products. She added that based on the 2021 survey, many residents said they have skipped buying period products to ensure they could afford other necessities, like food and other daily expenses.
“There’s still that level of shame around something that is so basic,” Yee said. “What we saw falling through the cracks was one of the most basic needs, which was dealing with our periods. If you can’t afford food or any of the basic necessities, you know, then how can people afford period products?”
Since the report, Hawaiʻi has made several moves toward addressing the issue, including passing a law in 2022 that required all state Department of Education schools to provide free menstrual products on campus.
There have also been resolutions at the state legislature to require University of Hawaiʻi campuses to follow suit and for the DOE to implement comprehensive menstrual education in schools.
Yee noted that this year’s survey will hopefully reveal how well these actions have been implemented and what difference they have made.
“Existing policies have been successful in terms of making it through the legislative session, but implementation and making sure that these things are actually done effectively is still always a work in progress,” Yee said. “Even if you have these products, but people don’t know about them, you’ll still have this accessibility gap.”
The 2026 survey is available through the end of the month and is completely anonymous. It will be followed by a government report with the results later this year.
