On Monday 20 January, the UK government introduced a scheme which allows English schools to order period products for free distribution to pupils, in a bid to end period poverty among school children.
The scheme is largely the result of a petition started on Change.org by Amika George, calling for provision of free period products to girls entitled to free school meals in all state-maintained schools and colleges in England. In 2017 I signed this petition alongside 277,205 others. George went on to organise a series of protests to put further pressure on the government.
Feminists took up the issue of period poverty in schools after it became known that children as young as 10 were staying home from school for fear of bleeding through their school uniform. Also, schoolgirls around the country have been using socks stuffed with tissue, old and torn clothing items and newspaper in place of the tampons and pads they lacked access to.
The launch of this scheme in England follows similar commitments already made in Scotland and Wales.
The Department for Education (DfE) is offering guidance on choosing, ordering and distributing period products, and on ways to tackle the stigma around period poverty.
Not only can schools order typical pads and tampons, also available are: environmentally friendly period pads which are made of organic cotton and are biodegradable, reusable period pads, and menstrual cups which are durable sanitary products that can last up to 10 years.
While the scheme focuses on the distribution of free period products for schoolgirls, it also calls for schools to improve their teaching on the menstrual cycle and sanitary products.
School staff are encouraged to consider how the scheme can be made inclusive for LGBTQ+ students. The DfE wants schools to speak to their students to find out how best they can provide them with these free products.
As someone who signed the petition three years ago, seeing the government take note and offer a scheme that delivers all we could have hoped for, is one huge success for the movement to end period poverty.
