Period poverty in UK schools: A complete guide
Getting your period for the first time is both a physiological and psychological milestone in a woman’s life, but can you imagine not being able to afford or access sanitary products to help you manage your period? Schools can and have played an integral role in the battle against period poverty and we at GLS Education think it’s important to spread the message of positive menstrual wellbeing.
This guide will explain what period poverty is, what causes it, what schools across the UK are already doing to help young women and what you can do to help young people in your school.
What is period poverty?
Quite simply, period poverty is when a person who menstruates cannot afford sanitary products due to financial constrictions.
In 2017, Plan International UK researched the menstrual wellbeing of young women in the UK. They found that 1 in 10 girls had been unable to afford sanitary products. 12% of young girls surveyed had had to ‘improvise’ sanitary wear because they didn’t have the money to buy tampons or pads, and 1 in 5 girls changed to a less suitable sanitary product because of cost.
What causes period poverty?
Obviously, a lack of financial security is the biggest cause of period poverty. But other factors have aggravated the situation for women in the UK. For example, it was only in January of 2021 that ‘tampon tax’ was abolished. VAT was applied to all sanitary products before then as they were classed as luxury items, making them more expensive.
The study carried out by Plan International also found worrying statistics surrounding the attitude towards periods. Nearly 50% of all girls aged 14-21 said they were embarrassed by their periods and 71% of girls admitted they felt embarrassed buying sanitary products.
Who is affected by period poverty?
Whilst in the UK period poverty affects 1 in 10 women, period poverty affects 300 million worldwide. Period poverty can affect anyone who menstruates.
What’s the effect of period poverty on schools?
Without access to sanitary products for 1 in 10 young women, the inevitable impact on learning is worrying.
The same study from Plan International UK found some incredibly disconcerting stats regarding the impact of periods and stigma surrounding them on the life of young girls at school.
- 49% of girls had missed an entire day of school because of their period (of which 59% made up a lie or excuse)
- 64% of girls missed PE because of their period (of which 52% made up a lie or excuse)
- Only 1 in 5 girls felt comfortable discussing their period with their teacher.
Another study found that over the course of a year, 137,000 children in the UK miss school because of period poverty.
Are sanitary products free in the UK?
In November 2020, Scotland became the first country in the world to make period products free for all as a way to tackle period poverty. Since then, New Zealand has also followed suit, providing anyone who menstruates and cannot afford tampons or pads with access to free sanitary products. Currently, England, Wales and Northern Ireland do not provide free sanitary products for most people who menstruate.
How can we stop period poverty in schools?
Whilst the rest of the UK is yet to follow in Scotland’s footsteps, the government has launched a scheme in England to provide all young women with access to free sanitary products via the school they attend. Commonly, sanitary products were already provided by teachers, school nurses and other school workers, but schools can now opt into the scheme and save money by getting the products for free.
In Wales, a similar scheme was launched in 2019. The Period Dignity Grant for Schools provides over 141,000 girls in Welsh schools with free sanitary products. Similarly, in Northern Ireland, a scheme to provide sanitary products for all girls in schools was approved in December 2020 and is likely to come into fruition in September 2021.
What can you do in your school?
There are some things you can do in your school today that can help to tackle the issue of period poverty and the stigma that surrounds menstruating.
- Provide a mixture of sanitary products in all toilets, including disabled toilets which are gender neutral.
- Provide posters where sanitary products are placed – this might include a list of teachers children can approach to collect a bulk amount to take home. This free one from phs is a great example of using positive language.
- Provide sanitary products in changing rooms or with PE teachers.
- Top up supplies regularly.
- Hold assemblies that inform your pupils of access to sanitary products – you might want to think about including learners who do not have periods into the discussion as a whole.
- Reach out to parents and carers and discuss period poverty issues as well as the school’s approach to tackling the stigma.
- Ensure all staff (including male staff) are informed enough about periods and the products used to assist.
- It is important for all learners to be educated about periods in order to tackle the taboo that surrounds them. Consider posters in the bathrooms of learners who do not have periods.
If you do create your own posters, consider the following guidance from the government guidance regarding the free sanitary product scheme:
- Use short, bold headlines.
- Use friendly, supportive, and approachable language (for example, the use of the word ‘sanitary’ may be associated with uncleanliness which isn’t helpful).
- Use positive can-do imagery.
- Avoid stereotypes of girls.
- Reflect diversity of your school in the imagery.
There are many charities working in the UK and worldwide to tackle the issue of period poverty. If you’d like to learn more about the topic or how you might help to challenge the stigmas, taboos and gender inequalities associated with menstruation, take a look at some of the charities below.
