Free sanitary products soon to be available in UK secondary schools

Image taken by Ashley Armitage

The government have announced its pledge to supply all UK secondary school students with free tampons and sanitary towels in an attempt to end period poverty.

Period poverty affects one in ten women and girls in the UK (in a survey taken out by Plan International), with 12% sharing that they often use alternative materials such as socks or toilet roll due to not being able to afford sanitary products.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, announced the huge step that will be taken to tackle period poverty among school students, with a plan to begin the scheme in September 2019.

A study found that over 137,700 children in the UK in 2017 missed school due to not having access to sanitary products while being on their periods – a statistic that is unacceptable and shocking, and has finally demanded change to provide school girls with menstrual products.

The Chancellor has shared that the scheme will be funded entirely by the Treasury, meaning that the products will be available to all school students and not limited by the student needing to match any certain criteria. More information is due to be announced on Wednesday by the Chancellor at the spring statement.