Students at more than 30 ACT public schools will get access to free period products. Dispensers will be installed in primary and high schools, giving high schoolers access to pads and tampons and primary school students access to pads.
00:00An Australian first initiative stemming from a pitch by students at an International Women's Day conference in 2021.
00:10Periods becoming a barrier to education and confidence was something that we were really passionate about fixing.
00:16Advocates argue easy access to sanitary products helps safeguard against period-related disadvantage.
00:23It's still an issue in a lot of spaces, so we decided that we wanted to make it normal.
00:28In recent years, ACT students have been able to get period products from teachers and school staff, but the dispensers mean they won't have to ask.
00:37The pilot program follows the ACT's nation-first legislation, passed in 2023, which guarantees students access to free period products.
00:47Teachers say students of all ages need access, including in primary school.
00:52Children get their period at a young age and, you know, for some of our students, the first time they get their period is actually at school.
00:59So having those period products available to them in a space where they can access with dignity is extremely important for our students.
01:06The free product dispensers will also be installed at Canberra Hospital, the University of Canberra Hospital and community health centres.
01:14It's just not economic disadvantage that stops people getting period products.
01:18There's a whole range of things. It could be that you're in crisis. It could be a cultural or a language barrier.
01:23It could just be that you're getting your period for the first time, you don't quite know who to ask.
01:26So to see these across our community in spaces where they're easily accessed is really going to make a difference.
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