The Department of Education’s free menstrual hygiene program aims to reduce barriers that prevent students from participating fully in school life, allowing them to get the most from their education. Sanitary hygiene products are available at no cost to schools or students.
The initiative was developed to fight period poverty, which is the inability to purchase period products due to low income. Not being able to access these essential products impacts the ability of women and girls to participate fully in education, employment and community life.
Menstruation (and its unpredictability) may stop students from attending school or taking part in learning activities. There are also known health risks from using improvised sanitary hygiene products.
Initially, the program was only to provide pads and tampons. However, in 2023, period underwear was added to the program to offer a more sustainable option and also as an alternative for people who find it challenging to change sanitary pads and tampons.
Schools order the products through approved suppliers and the costs are automatically attributed to the menstrual hygiene program, rather than to the school.
School cleaning staff are responsible for checking and filling the pad and tampon dispensers as part of their daily cleaning routine. Period underwear is ordered individually by students through their school support network.
Since the program’s introduction in 2023, free menstrual hygiene products have been made available to all female students. The program offers many benefits to students such as:
- Supporting health and wellbeing.
- Promoting attendance at school.
- Supporting greater participation in learning activities.
By providing free, clean menstrual products, students can feel safe and confident that they will be able to continue with their school activities.
The program has been very well received in NSW public schools. This has resulted in private schools, universities and other education services contacting the department for guidance on how they could roll out similar programs. In addition, several private organisations have shown interest in the program and the opportunity to supply additional products such as menstrual cups and period packs. Approximately 65,400 pairs of period underwear and well over 1.9 million pads and tampons have been distributed to students since the program’s inception.
The program could benefit from further promotion through an educational piece/program focusing on menstrual hygiene which may result in greater awareness of the free and available products.