Kildare Senator Fiona O’Loughlin has renewed her call for the Irish government to provide free sanitary products for Irish students.
Senator O’Loughlin said, “This week saw the announcement that girls in New Zealand high schools will no longer have to pay for sanitary products. The Government, led by Jacinda Ardern, has said it will foot the bill to eliminate widespread period poverty which causes absenteeism from school for many New Zealand students.
“This follows a move by the Scottish Government last year when it announced that it would make sanitary products available for free to all school pupils and students.
“I believe these are progressive and important moves and I would love to see Ireland follow suit.
“The Minister needs to commit to providing free, adequate, safe and suitable sanitary products to women to tackle period poverty and de-stigmatise menstruation.
“I was a member of the Oireachtas Women’s Caucus which last year brought forward the first motion on period poverty in the Oireachtas. This was in recognition of the very real issues which are associated with the cost of menstruation.
“This motion estimated that most women and girls will spend an estimated €8,100 on sanitary products and pain relief over a lifetime and that access to affordable sanitary products should be viewed in a human rights context.
“We know that his cost affects teenagers, those on lower incomes and homeless people disproportionately. It’s not unheard of that young women may have no choice but to go without sanitary products to make ends meet, and this significantly affects their hygiene, health and overall wellbeing. Period poverty is yet one more hurdle for women to overcome in a society still dominated by gendered inequalities.
“Sanitary products are a necessity, not a luxury and we need to work towards removing the financial barrier altogether for Irish women and girls,” concluded Senator O’Loughlin.
