INTRODUCTION: COSTA RICA AND ITS ECONOMIC SITUATION
Known for its ambrosial coffee and breathtaking mountain ranges, Costa Rica is a small country situated in Central America with the greatest musings of nature.[1] Although the country fairs well economically, like any other country, it has shortcomings. Costa Rica faces a twin challenge on the economic front, high poverty rates and skyrocketing inflation.[2] In 2022 alone, their poverty rate was 16.6%, and inflation was 8.3%.[3] This uncontrolled inflation subsequently led to the rising prices of goods and services in Costa Rica—even the cost of daily necessities shot up beyond expectation. Among daily essentials, feminine hygiene products became unaffordable to the common people, and this is where the story begins. There had to be a solution to this problem.
Costa Rica already had a meagre rate of labour participation. In addition to that, women still faced entry barriers and due to high poverty rates they were not encouraged to complete their schooling and in turn, joined the unskilled labour force. To top it all off, period poverty in Costa Rica further put women in a disadvantageous position. Let’s take a deeper dive into the matter.
IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEMS
What is period poverty? Period poverty or menstrual poverty is commonly used to describe the lack of access to menstrual products and the education required to use them.
Due to the high tax rates imposed on them, most women were unable to purchase feminine hygiene products and as a result, young girls were missing 25% of the school year. This became a serious problem since women were being deprived of their basic right to health which was derived from Article 21, Right to Life of the Costa Rican Constitution[4]. They were unable to work or attend school as they used to remain locked in their houses during the commencement of their menstrual cycle. Consequently, they lost their jobs, lost out on education and some would even drop out of school. This was a major drawback for girls and women, especially for those who were from impoverished backgrounds. The gap between the rich and poor was becoming wider by the day and period poverty was a major contributing factor to this phenomenon.[5]
Due to gender disparity and high tax rates imposed on essential products, there was a decline in women’s health and their participation in society.
THE INITIATIVE: WELCOME TO THE GROUP
Finally, an initiative was taken by Marysela Zamora, the founder of Fabrica De Historias which aimed to connect people through art and creativity.[6] In 2017, she took the responsibility to launch a crusade against Costa Rica’s menstrual poverty and help young girls and women fight this injustice. She started a platform movement called ‘Nosotras Women Connecting’, to support women in the sphere of education, and affordability and access to feminine hygiene products. This Non-Governmental organization is aimed at supporting girls and women of Latin America[7].
They embarked on this journey by proposing a bill aiming to provide free feminine hygiene products to school-going girls. They tried to grab the attention of the lawmakers to this proposal and pushed them to pass this bill. Unfortunately, their rigorous campaigning failed to gain traction with them. The lawmakers turned a deaf ear to all their pleas, but their vigour couldn’t be ignored for long. They noticed a simple phenomenon occurring throughout their attempt to further this movement, increased use of screens. Everyone was always staring at a screen whether their phone or their laptop. This simple observation helped spark a revolution.
They needed this campaign to work so they tried a different approach, which was more personal.
Nosotras Women Connecting acquired the phone numbers of all the Congress Members in Costa Rica and added all of them to a WhatsApp group, taking advantage of the fact that their eyes were always glued to their phones. This initiative was called ‘Welcome to the Group’. The group was named ‘Thank You Congress Members’ and the admin tactfully added young girls from Costa Rica to this group.[8] These girls sent videos and messages thanking the Congress Members of Costa Rica in advance, creating a sense of curiosity, grabbing attention and showing how much this cause mattered. This idea was the trump card which brought about a change in the attitude and viewpoints of the Congress members which was advantageous to the campaigners. It resulted in a series of events that brought about a transformation in the society.[9]
THE OUTCOME
This soon piqued the interest of journalists for its unique and creative approach. Social media too was quick to catch on and soon the hashtag #GraciasDiputados was used, especially by young women, to voice their struggles and experiences, mainly to spread awareness about the same. The movement received a face and an identity. The impact was astonishing!
Five days after creating the group, the issue was brought to the floor for debate. The overwhelming public support, fueled by the WhatsApp campaign, translated into a swift legislative victory.[10] The law providing free menstrual products in schools was approved, marking a significant milestone in menstrual equity for Costa Rica and setting an example for the entire world.
This proved that the right strategy, the right intent, and the right digital tools can change the world, bit by bit. It was unbelievable how something as minimal as a WhatsApp group could bring about a revolution that impacted and changed the lives of the girls and the women of Costa Rica forever.
CONCLUSION
The ‘Thank You Congress Members’ initiative is a constant reminder of the fact that change can be brought from the most unexpected sources. Moreover, it proves that in today’s digital world, if one can leverage the resources available to them appropriately, they can harness the power of justice through the smallest of initiatives and make an unprecedented change, that can be called a transformation.
Today thousands of young girls in Costa Rica are thanking Marysela Zamora for her unwavering dedication and unstinting efforts to make a positive change for the betterment of the society.
Thus, every time you extend a helping hand, which may appear like a small step to you, it could be ‘one giant leap’ that may help transform a society and benefit thousands, beyond your imagination.
Author(s) Name: Roopkatha Ghosh (Svkm’s NMIMS Kirit P. Mehta School of Law)
References:
[1] Costa Rica Country Profile (National Geographic Kids) <https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/costa-rica> accessed on 7 June 2024
[2] Costa Rica Overview (World Bank, 3 April 2024)< https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/costarica/overview> accessed on 7 June 2024.
[3] Inflation, Consumer Price, (World Bank) <https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG?locations=CR> accessed on 7 June 2024
[4] Costa Rica 1949 (rev. 2011), s 21
[5] Nicole Y., ‘ADDRESSING PERIOD POVERTY IN COSTA RICA’ (The Borgen Project, 25 August 2021) <https://borgenproject.org/period-poverty-in-costa-rica/#:~:text=In%20the%20years%20since%2C%20Costa,period%20poverty%20in%20Costa%20Rica.> accessed on 7 June 2024.
[6] About Us (Fábrica de Historias) < https://fabricadehistorias.com/fabrica/quienessomos/> accessed on 7 June 2024.
[7] Marysela Zamora is awarded as emerging leader of Latin America (Nosotras Women Connecting, 5 December 2019) < https://nosotraswomenconnecting.com/2019/12/05/marysela-zamora-is-awarded-as-emerging-leader-of-latin-america/ >
[8] About Us (Nosotras Women Connecting, 5 December 2019) <https://nosotraswomenconnecting.com/2019/12/05/marysela-zamora-is-awarded-as-emerging-leader-of-latin-america/> accessed on 7 June 2024.
[9] Welcome to the Group | Nosotras Women Connecting (TBWA Cannes) <https://www.tbwacannes.com/news/welcome-to-the-group-nosotras-women-connecting/> accessed on 7 June 2024.
[10] PRWeek UK staff, (PRWeek, 16 May 2024)<https://www.prweek.com/article/1870772/prweek-global-awards-2024-corporate-social-responsibility#:~:text=The%2013%20per%20cent%20tax,execution%20and%20significant%20societal%20impact%E2%80%9D.> accessed on 7 June 2024.
