Monthly period, or menstruation, is an inseparable part of our lives as women. For various reasons, our monthly bleeding may be heavy or light, it may last longer and in some cases, up to 10 days, or women may experience bleeding twice a month in times of stress, mental pressure, or even seasonal changes. As a result, carrying a sanitary pad has always been a concern for us women. Most of us even carry one or two sanitary pads in our bags for reassurance and mental comfort, even on days when we are not menstruating. Some of us also use daily sanitary pads due to sensitivity, obsession, or discharge.

Many men and women have experienced or are experiencing imprisonment in prison, but the Islamic Republic imposes a different experience on women based on their gender; including the imposition of mandatory hijab in prison, as well as the problem of lack of hygiene pads or the unavailability of high-quality pads in prisons, which has always caused additional stress or pressure on women.

I start from the individual.

I have memories about the foster care that have not been erased from my mind even after ten years, and every time I remember it, I feel stressed and ashamed just like that day.

In 1993, when I was in solitary confinement, I asked the female prison guard for more sanitary pads. She told me that they could only provide 7 pads per month for each prisoner. I asked how I could use only one pad per day during my period. I need more pads. She said it was not possible and kept making excuses. Finally, I told her to let me buy them myself and her response was that the interrogator had to approve it.

On that same day, as soon as the female officer handed me over to the interrogation room, one of the interrogators called from outside the room. Unlike previous days, the interrogation room had glass walls; the interrogator could see me, but I could also see my own reflection in the glass. The interrogator said that my sister (referring to the female officer) had mentioned that I have some needs. I felt my face getting hot, lowered my head and said: Yes…

The paper was slid towards me from under the glass. It had written on it: “Do you want a winged or non-winged sanitary pad?”

My hands were shaking, I wrote the answer and handed the paper to him.

He wrote something again and handed me the paper: Mark whichever one you want! And it said: Big or small!

At that time, I wanted to quickly leave the room and I was disgusted with myself for the shame that he saw in me. In fact, I felt really bad about having to express my natural needs with shame to them.

Prisoners’ health ration.

According to the regulations of the Prison Organization, the prison is obligated to provide hygiene items to each female prisoner every month, including shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, laundry detergent, razor, and a pack of sanitary pads. If she needs more pads, the prison must provide them. Upon arrival, new inmates must also be given these items along with a towel, a pair of plastic slippers, a hairbrush, a t-shirt, and underwear.

1. Evin Prison:

In Evin prison, a monthly ration of sanitary pads was given to each prisoner, but the quality of these pads was so poor that many prisoners developed skin sensitivities after using them. Some prisoners had to buy sanitary pads from the store, which put additional financial pressure on them. Additionally, these pads would often run out and it would take some time for them to be restocked, requiring prisoners to constantly go to the office to purchase the necessary pads and for the store to have them available for sale to the prisoners.

In Evin Women’s Prison, they reduced the ration of hygiene products for a period of time. However, they also took into account the age of the prisoners and if they suspected a woman to be menopausal, they would decrease her monthly ration. This was happening while we were giving the rations of those who didn’t need them to those who needed them more.

On the one hand, since the cheapest and lowest quality sanitary pad was being purchased for women’s use, for a while that product was not found in the market and the prison was not willing to pay more for buying sanitary pads. For this reason, even for several months, the supply of sanitary pads did not reach the prison and the inmates had to buy them from the store.

The head of the prison band was named Abdolhamidi and he said his efforts had been fruitful and we should request from the prison chief; while it was his duty to follow up on the purchase of supplies from the prison chief. He said, “I am ashamed to tell the prison chief!” He had pressured us to continue buying supplies from the store, but our response was that the prison is obligated to provide hygiene supplies to prisoners and many prisoners do not have the financial means to buy from the store, and even if they do, the prison has no right to neglect its duties based on the financial capabilities of prisoners and should also deliver supplies from previous months to the prisoners.

The follow-up was successful and I was connected with political prisoners. I had been assigned as a lawyer for three months. At that time, Gholamreza Ziaei was the head of the prison, whose crimes, immorality, and corruption had been repeatedly reflected in the media. The assigned lawyer is responsible for conveying the prisoners’ requests to the heads of the ward and prison and relevant officials, and following up on meeting the needs of the prisoners. Therefore, I also had to inform Gholamreza Ziaei about the issue of sanitary pads. I had several verbal disputes with him and he had even attacked me twice for beating me. For this reason, I never wanted to speak to him, but because of the responsibility that my fellow prisoners had entrusted me with, I had to tell him about the needs of the ward and prisoners. I had trained myself to put aside shame and embarrassment because I believed that this shame was also imposed on us women by the male

I told him that for a while now, the prison has been refusing to provide hygiene supplies to the inmates, including sanitary pads… and I hung my head down.

Suddenly, he said: What is a sanitary pad?

I was shocked to hear this question. When I raised my head, I saw his eyes flashing and a repulsive smile on his lips.

I said: “Sanitary tape!”

He said: Oh! Well, why aren’t they giving it?

I said, “I don’t know… It is your responsibility to follow up.”

He said: Tell me what brand and model you want so I can tell the warehouse manager to prepare it.

I said: “Please bring a sanitary pad, they know themselves.”

He said: There are various types; nocturnal, diurnal, winged, wingless, big, small… Mashallah, you all have thousands of abilities and it’s not clear what you want!

I was extremely angry and said, “First of all, fix your way of speaking. Secondly, I didn’t come here to discuss the type of sanitary pad with you. You are obligated to provide sanitary pads for female prisoners according to regulations, and I reminded you of this matter.”

He saw my anger and started talking about repetitive topics that this prison (Evin prison) is a men’s prison and there shouldn’t be any women imprisoned here and you should have been in Qarchak prison…

2. Qarchak Prison.

In Qarchak prison, the situation was the same. Most prisoners were from the poor class of society who had committed a crime due to financial problems or were addicted. Qarchak prisoners often had no one outside of prison to deposit money for them. In this prison, each prisoner was given a hygiene package every month, and Qarchak prisoners, like Evin prisoners, had to either borrow from their cellmates or buy the package themselves if they were sensitive to it or needed more. With this unspoken explanation, it is clear that most prisoners, due to financial problems, used the same low-quality and sensitive hygiene package and suffered from skin irritation and sensitivity.

3. Lacanian Prison:

In the Lakan prison, the situation was even more tragic than Evin and Garchak. In Lakan prison, there was no such thing as a monthly allowance for each prisoner, and even the prisoners had to buy toilet paper from the store. This is while most of the prisoners in this prison, like Garchak prison, had committed crimes due to poverty and financial problems. Women who were addicted and had to quit their addiction from the first day without any facilities or medications such as methadone, suddenly suffered from severe bleeding.

One Friday, I witnessed a caretaker give a package of sanitary pads to one of the prisoners and said they must purchase it from the store on Sunday and return it to the caretaker. I angrily told them that it is every prisoner’s right to receive a monthly supply of hygiene products, and not only are they not doing that, but now they are telling them to buy it later and return it to the caretaker because the prisoner doesn’t have a shopping card or the store is closed? However, the caretaker said that we don’t have these rules here.

From that day on, in addition to the numerous other needs of the prisoners, the pressure for monthly rations also became one of my demands. The same rations that the prison was supposed to provide for free every month were now being sold in the store, and prisoners had to buy their monthly rations from the store. Every time I was sent to solitary confinement due to protests or strikes, I would mention the various needs of the prisoners, including the need for sanitary pads. It was clear to me that instead of feeling ashamed and embarrassed, the prison guards, warden, and inspector were now lowering their heads in shame.

One day, Reza Mohammadi Asl, the head of the prisons organization in Gilan province, came to Lakan prison. He, who was an elderly man, called me to the chief’s office to discuss my concerns and requests. All the prison officials and a few prisoners with white headscarves were also present in the office. However, as always, I sat in front of him with a short coat and a scarf, which made everyone very angry. After mentioning many issues on my list, I came to the issue of monthly health supplies for prisoners and told him: In all prisons, monthly health supplies should be given to the prisoners.

He said: Yes, that is correct.

I said, “But here, not only is this ration not delivered, but if the store is closed and the prisoner has an urgent need, they will only give it to him on the condition that he later obtains it from the store and returns it.”

The prisoners covered their faces with a veil. The warden also moved himself on the chair and while covering his face with his veil, looked at me with anger and disgust.

The head of the prison organization also felt embarrassed, lowered his head and said: “Mrs. Daeimi, don’t say such things!”

I said: Menstruation is not ugly, nor is our need for sanitary pads; it is your thinking that is ugly. Just as you men have needs, we also have needs, but is it ugly when it’s our turn? I asked: Have you ever bought sanitary pads for your daughter or wife?

He was blushing and while he had lowered his head, he said: Yes, you are right.

He turned to the prison warden and said, “Why don’t you give monthly allowances to the prisoners?”

Before the prison warden could respond, I said: They sell the same rations in the store and prisoners are forced to buy the rations that should be provided to them for free.

This issue caused a discussion between him and the prison warden. Mohammadi told him that rations are part of the rules and you receive money every month to buy these items from the organization (referring to the Gilan Province Prisons Organization)!

The head of health was also stunned and mesmerized as he looked at their conversation.

After that day, Mohammad Golpour was removed from his position as the head of Lakan prison and transferred to Roudbar prison. From then on, every month, the monthly ration – including hygiene supplies – was delivered to the prisoners.

One day, when they were giving a package of sanitary pads to each prisoner, one of the prisoners said loudly, “Athena, why did you do something that every time we see a sanitary pad, we have to remember you and feel ashamed of that old man, Mohammad!?” …and all the prisoners laughed loudly.