COVID-19 Impact on the Global Feminine hygiene products Market

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly discovered coronavirus. The spread of this virus is impacting the growth of economies across the globe. The disease was unknown before its outbreak In Wuhan (China) in December 2019.

The primary impacts of an outbreak are defined as direct and immediate consequences of this pandemic on human health. However, secondary impacts are those caused by the pandemic indirectly, either through the effect of fear on the population or because of measures taken to contain and control it. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a secondary impact on the feminine hygiene products market. The impact will vary country-wise and with the ability to respond through social protection and medical infrastructure. It is believed that the most affected consumers will be the poorest and most vulnerable to economic and social shocks.

According to a survey conducted by the Menstrual Health Alliance India, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely hit access to feminine hygiene products. As per the survey, over 82% of feminine hygiene product manufacturers had to pause operations in India due to social distancing norms and lockdown. With production becoming constrained, the availability of these products, including disposable and reusable sanitary pads at a rural level. Consumers who could access the products at local markets earlier were unable to do so due to the lack of public transport and mobility restrictions under the lockdown. According to the Feminine and Infant Hygiene Association of India, China fulfills approximately 10-15% of India’s requirement of sanitary napkins, and with most of the country’s manufacturing halted, there was a severe shortage of products resulting in black marketing and artificial price rise.

However, a different trend was observed in the US. Just as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted work, school, and social routines, so did hoarding interrupted the supply of feminine hygiene products. Consumers with lower incomes have faced the consequences of hoarding, leading to a price rise during the lockdown period. Women relying on free feminine hygiene products from schools, social service centers, government health centers, and medical facilities also faced shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, non-profit organizations such as Support, The Girls have started taking initiatives to bridge this gap. This organization donated over 900,000 feminine hygiene products in March 2020 alone to Los Angeles, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

The global feminine hygiene products market size is projected to grow from USD 20.9 billion in 2020 to USD 27.7 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period 2020 to 2025. Increasing female population & rapid urbanization, rising female literacy and awareness of menstrual health & hygiene, rising disposable income of females, and women empowerment are expected to accelerate the growth of the feminine hygiene products market across the globe.

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A sanitary napkin is a type of feminine hygiene product that is worn externally, unlike tampons and menstrual cups, which are worn inside the vagina. The large share of the sanitary napkins segment can be attributed to increased awareness compared to other feminine hygiene products, along with easy availability.

Asia Pacific accounted for the largest share of the feminine hygiene products market in 2019. The countries considered for study in the Asia Pacific feminine hygiene products market include China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Growing disposable income, rapid urbanization, and awareness about menstrual hygiene management are driving the feminine hygiene products market in this region. Recently, the Indian government announced plans to invest USD 160 million in the Suvidha initiative, a scheme to ensure proper access to sanitary napkins in rural areas of the country. The government plans to provide biodegradable sanitary napkins to the masses at the cost of USD0.00014 through this scheme. The government plans to involve high net worth individuals (HNIs) and corporates to assist in distributing sanitary napkins to underprivileged women across the country. These developments will further boost the demand for feminine hygiene products.

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