'You are beyond essential': On women's day, Brazil's sexist President backtracks from 'menstrual poverty' row

Five months after vetoing a similar measure, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree Tuesday ensuring that low-income women and girls can get free menstrual supplies.

The far-right leader signed the executive order on International Women's Day, two days before Congress was scheduled to vote to override his veto.

Bolsonaro blocked the legislation in October, arguing that there was no adequate funding available to provide menstrual supplies for the five million women and girls with low incomes.

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The new decree will be funded with 130 million reais ($26 million), according to the health ministry, but will reach a relatively small number of people -- an estimated 3.6 million.

"Menstrual poverty" is a major problem in Brazil, where women unable to afford tampons and pads often rely on scraps of cloth, diapers, or bread when their periods arrive.

A report by the United Nations Foundation program Girl Up found that one in four girls miss school each month because they do not have menstrual supplies.

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Bolsonaro has a history of making anti-women, sexist remarks, including saying to a congresswoman in 2014 that she was "not worth raping" because she was "too ugly."

"When we speak of women, we must also speak of the family.... Respect above all, and the preservation of family values," he said at Tuesday's signing ceremony.

"You are beyond essential, you are indispensable for the future of this great nation. May you continue participating more and more with us in building it."

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He added that if women decided, "we would have no wars in the world."

Bolsonaro is also scheduled to speak Thursday at a private event to promote women's participation in politics.

The event has, however, received criticism due to the fact all five speakers are men, including two of the president's ministers.

(With inputs from agencies)