4 days ago
Free period products in more Canberra schools as trial expanded
Former student Amelia Tattam has been fighting to end period poverty since learning how inaccessible pads and tampons could be to young people.
She previously rallied her peers around the issue and had them do a questionnaire.
"Periods being a barrier to education and confidence was something that we were really passionate about fixing. So we came together and we created a pitch."
The student group lobbied the ACT Education Directorate to fund free period products via dispensers in school bathrooms.
Ms Tattam's vision is now a reality.
The government will expand its existing period poverty pilot program to install bathroom dispensers at 31 public schools.
Participating high schools will have pads and tampons available, with pads accessible at some primary schools.
The schools will also work to provide better information to students about menstruation and challenge unhelpful stigmas.
Ms Tattam said it was "really special" to see the pilot grow.
"It's such a huge issue for so many people and it's not spoken about very much at all," she said.
The ACT became the first jurisdiction in Australia to guarantee access to free period products in 2023.
"We're excited in the ACT to be able to lead this project, but we're also really excited to roll it out in our public school system, so that every student who needs to use period products can access them easily, for free," ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said.
Gold Creek Primary School associate principal Amanda Molloy said supporting Canberra's younger students with period product access was vital.
"Because as we know, children can get their period at a young age, and for some of our students, the first time they get their period is actually at school," Ms Molloy said.
"So, having those period products available to them in a space where they can access them with dignity is extremely important for our students."
Ms Molloy said some grade 4 students at her school had experienced their first periods.
"We've had some conversations with our students in year 4 about where to go and how to access those products, and what it means for them," she said.
"With the rollout of the pilot program, we've also been given … some learning resources for our students, which our teachers have delivered, and that's been really successful too — for both male and female students to understand."
Ms Molloy said having the pads in the bathroom meant students could discreetly gain access, even if they felt uncomfortable approaching teachers.
