Free menstrual products made available to 900 students at three schools in pilot project

Two types of essential female hygiene products are going to be available to students through a pilot project launched in three schools with the aim of reducing stigma around menstruation, Parliamentary Secretary for Equality Rebecca Buttigieg said on

By: independent.com.mt

Sep 27 2024
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Free menstrual products made a

Buttigieg said that the project will give 900 female students access to free menstrual products, with two types at their disposal, at school via three specialized machines installed in the schools following a study by the Directorate of Human Rights within the Parliamentary Secretariat for Equality and Reforms which examined the experience of other countries that implemented a similar project in their schools.

She said that throughout the scholastic year, the results of this project will be analysed so that the next scholastic year, the initiative will be expanded to all middle and secondary schools.

Buttigieg said the pilot project was launched in three schools; Santa Monika Secondary in Birkirkara, Maria Reġina College in Mosta and the Intermediate School of Gozo, with two being state-run and the other being a Church school.

Buttigieg said that the aim of the project was to reduce the stigma that persists, with a natural process that every woman goes through in their lives, whilst improving the hygiene of students in schools. She added that it is also aimed to decrease female student absenteeism whilst decreasing the financial burden to buy such essential products on families.

She added that in this way, another proposal from the ‘Malta Flimkien’ electoral manifesto is implemented and another measure from the equality action plan will be strengthened through an awareness campaign in the coming days.