New Zealand tackles 'period poverty' by providing free sanitary products in schools

In a bid to tackle ‘period poverty’, the New Zealand government on June 4 said that it will be providing free sanitary products in schools across the country. According to an international media outlet, NZ PM Jacinda Arden said that nearly 95,000 girls in the country aged 9 to 18 are thought to stay home from school during their periods due to not being able to afford pads and tampons. By making the sanitary products freely available, the government aims to support young people to continue learning at school. 

As per reports, the NZ government is investing $1.7 million in the initiative, which will first roll out in approximately 15 schools in the Waikato region of the country’s North Island during term three of this year. The program will also expand nation-wide to all state school by 2021. 

While period poverty is often seen as a problem confined to developing countries, as per several studies, the lack of sanitary products also impacts millions of people in the world’s richest nations, including the US, as well. Arden’s new program comes after the health and well-being survey from NZ-based Youth19 found that 12 per cent of students in year 9 to 13, who menstruate, reported difficulty accessing sanitary products due to affordability. 

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Wider effort to reduce child poverty 

While speaking to an international media outlet, New Zealand’s Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter said that menstruation is a fact of life for half of the population and access to the sanitary products is a ‘necessity’ and ‘not a luxury’. UNICEF and other aid organisations also recently noted that the girls who are unable to afford or access sanitary products also resort to using rags, old clothes, newspaper, hay, sand or even ash. Prime Minister Arden reportedly said that the initiative is part of a wider effort to reduce child poverty in the country. 

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She said that government plan to halve child poverty in 10 years is making a difference, however, she added that there is more to do and with families hit hard by COVID-19, it is important to increase the support in the areas it can make an immediate difference. New Zealand’s chief executive Julie Chapman reportedly also informed that period poverty was creating a barrier to education for already vulnerable young girls. Meanwhile, Dignity, an NGO that works to provide period products, lauded the NZ government and said that it was ‘ecstatic’ with the government’s commitment. 

Campaigns to tackle the 'period poverty’ problem have recently gained pace. Last year, England also announced that it would provide free sanitary products to high school students. The Scottish parliament recently also announced the advanced legislation that aims to ensure free universal access to menstrual hygiene products through the ‘Period Products Scotland Bill’. 

(Image: AP)

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