Bloody Good Period’s statement on the Government’s extension of the Period Product Scheme to Schools and Colleges

After hearing reports that the scheme was to be axed, we’re bloody relieved to see the government has committed to continuing the scheme for another year. This will ensure that students in schools and colleges continue to have crucial access to essential menstrual products for free. This action is a positive step towards addressing period poverty and promoting educational equity.

At a time where the cost-of-living crisis continues to put financial strain on young people and young adults who menstruate, this extension to free product provision will continue to be a lifeline for many, especially those on the breadline. In March this year, our partners Aldi, the supermarket, released vital research which underlines the urgency and need for free period products to those who need it most. The Period Poverty research revealed that 41% of people who menstruate are unable to afford period products, with 15% stating this is 'very often' or 'always' the case. 

Alarmingly, 30% have had to choose between purchasing period products and other essential items like food or clothing. In one of the world’s wealthiest countries, we believe that nobody should have to choose between buying period products, or heating their homes, or indeed eating.

The research highlights what we have long known and campaigned on. The cost-of-living crisis has further exacerbated period poverty. The impact of period poverty is a bloody brutal one which extends beyond financial strain. Our research shows that 61% of those who menstruate believe that if period products were cheaper or more freely available, it would improve their mental health and wellbeing.

So whilst this announcement from the Government is bloody brilliant, we know that access to products alone is not sufficient to achieve true period equity. We highlighted this in our recent consultation response to the Department for Education's Curriculum and Assessment Review - comprehensive menstrual health education is crucial. Without it, stigma, misinformation, and systemic inequalities persist, affecting students' wellbeing and educational outcomes.

We urge the government to make menstrual health education compulsory across schools and colleges, ensuring that it is inclusive and intersectional. This education should address the diverse experiences of those who menstruate and foster understanding among all students, regardless of gender.

On the Period Product Scheme, we ask the Government to:

• Extend the Period Product Scheme for more than just a year. We call on the Government to make a permanent commitment safeguarding this scheme.

• Evaluate the scheme for effectiveness and reach, ensuring enrolled schools are using the scheme effectively, and identifying why unenrolled eligible schools are not signed up.

• Provide a clearer set of evidence-based guidelines for how schools themselves should adopt, implement and manage the scheme. This must include guidance on how products can be made accessible in a shame-free way within schools.

• Implement the scheme equitably across the UK's devolved nations.

• Expand the scheme beyond educational institutions to include public spaces, workplaces, and community centres.

Only through taking a holistic approach that combines access to products with education and destigmatisation can we hope to eliminate period poverty and promote menstrual equity for all.

We ask the Government to prioritise menstrual health, but making menstrual health education compulsory, ensuring widespread access to free period products, and addressing the systemic issues that perpetuate stigma and inequality.

When we work together, we can make menstrual health equity and equality a reality. We can create a society where no one is held back by their period.