to think that girls shouldn't be missing school because their families can't afford sanitary products?

[MummyMummyMummyyyy]

.... and to think that mumsnetters could really make a difference to the numbers behind this petition?

https://www.change.org/p/theresa-may-mp-free-sanitary-products-for-girls-on-free-school-meals-freeperiods?recruiter=61821224&utmsource=shareepetition&utmmedium=copylink&utmmcampaign=sharepetition&utmmterm=sharepetition

Like being a teenager isn't hard enough without worrying about things like this.

Sorry.. 🙄
... make sure I put some pads into the food bank boxes when I can.

I've been talking to my DD about this, she is too young about periods but we have been discussing them recently and she is upset to learn that some girls won't be able to have readily available protection. She wondered if there could be a gift card system of some kind. That way girls could choose the product that works best for them - I know when I was a teen I needed the longer ones (ideally the nighttime ones) for my first 2-3 days.

I wonder if there could be a national campaign for instance for girls who are eligible somehow (those in receipt of school dinners and maybe ref by school/foodbank etc.) to receive a gift card type voucher that could be spent on these products monthly in the likes of chain shops, supermarkets, petrol stations, chemists? I would happily donate to that.

That is a brilliant idea Briechon, probably more likely something a charity would fund rather than the government (tight arses!). Am hoping someone rich and famous may be reading this and could run with that idea!

Signed - thanks for sharing this. The initiative of providing v cheap pads in school toilets also sounds great.

I can see that in rural areas people wouldn't necessarily live near to a Tesco or Asda so in those areas schools should stock them for girls to buy. In urban areas it shouldn't usually be necessary as cheap sanitary towels are generally available in supermarkets.

In urban areas it shouldn't usually be necessary as cheap sanitary towels are generally available in supermarkets.

You are assuming many things such as:

• the girls have money to buy the sanitary products
• that they have a large enough supermarket near by to stock the value products
• that the parents will let them go shopping

You are assuming many things such as:

• the girls have money to buy the sanitary products

That applies to all girls not just ones on FSM. If parents won't spare 23p for the children to get sanitary towels they are neglectful.

that they have a large enough supermarket near by to stock the value products

If they live in an urban area they will generally live within walking distance of a large supermarket.

that the parents will let them go shopping

Again that applies to all girls not just those on FSM. If a parent won't let them go shopping or go shopping themselves for the towels they are neglectful.

Signed.

We live in a very rural area. A tiny village. Supermarket is 30 min drive away as I said upthread.
I disagree that the only option available to people here is very expensive corner shops/ petrol station shops etc. People do actually leave the village you know.
We may not live next door to a Tesco extra but we are not cut off from society completely out here in the sticks! For example, there is a chemist a short walk away and it sells cheap sanitary products alongside branded products. I'm starting to think that people have the idea that we have to trudge hours through fields & rivers to buy essentials. We honestly don't.

Signed and shared.

My DD started her periods at 8 years old, does the PP really think girls as young as this would be able to comfortably and hygienically use a moon cup? They are great for adults not children.

Providing cheap pads in machines at school could work.

Let's have it neither the government or charities should be picking up the parents slack, it's neglectful and neglect needs dealing with not ignoring by throwing more money at it and taking over yet more parental duties.

Any parent not providing these items should be ashamed, it's part of the cost of children and a tiny one at that.

We just do it at a local level Briechon.

A few of us chipped in and made a box with all types (not moon cup!) and sizes of things x 20 and launched it in my friend's school. Then we got ambitious and pushed it out further.

Two schools didn't want our boxes, advising that their girls had no need for free sanitary protection - we hope they don't.

Two local supermarkets have donation points.

We top up every month. The idea is no questions, as much as you want, whenever you want. In the first school the supplies were in four particular toilet cubicles around the school, with discreet posters here and there, girls changing rooms, loos etc., etc., and a letter went home from school at the start of it. We just duplicated it in different schools.

It really has not been abused, just used.

Barchester
I would love to start something similar locally.

There are some brilliant ideas and initiatives on this thread. I've got a friend who teaches as our local comp and I'll be finding out if they have anything in place there. (My kids are still in primary school but I'll be speaking to our head to see if she thinks something could work at our school, too).

I cannot stand this attitude of "the parents are neglectful so why should others step up to do what the parents won't?" I'm not sure if the posters coming out with that tripe are being deliberately obtuse, but the aim of the petition is not to get the parents off the hook re their responsibilities, but to help girls and young women. If you think that is wrong, then be got nothing else to say to you.
SIGNED.

I agree Private their parents might well be neglectful but that doesn't mean the child should go without to somehow, in a roundabout way call out the shitty parents.

Children going without their basic needs is completely unfair and not only can parental neglect be part of it but for society to learn of the problem and then continue to leave a child suffering because of the parent? In my mind that is just as neglectful.

I cannot stand this attitude of "the parents are neglectful so why should others step up to do what the parents won't?" I'm not sure if the posters coming out with that tripe are being deliberately obtuse, but the aim of the petition is not to get the parents off the hook re their responsibilities, but to help girls and young women. If you think that is wrong, then be got nothing else to say to you

When I said that the parents were being neglectful, my point was that it may not be an issue of finance if sanitary towels only cost 23p for 10 in some supermarkets. If some parents are not providing them despite the fact that they only cost 23p per packet in some supermarkets (which will be within walking distance in urban areas) then the money would be better spent making cheap sanitary towels readily available in schools so that all girls can access them regardless of parental income.

Agree with you there Roomster - although there were others on the thread suggesting we shouldn't help because then parents won't need to do anything about it. Also as some said up thread, it's not just the cost of the pads etc that are prohibitive, but paying for transport to access them, etc. It just makes me so sad to think of girls in this situation, it's so wrong on so many levels - on which, I think, we agree.

Yes some parents are neglectful. Should we just let those kids go without then? Might as well let them go hungry and not have coats and gloves as well then. FFS it is our responsibility as a supposedly decent caring society to step up when we see children going without basic neccesities.
Signed the petition. Thanks for posting, OP.

PrivateParkin I agree that paying for transport to Tescos etc could be prohibitive in some rural areas (although even then there will often be a chemist nearby providing pads for about 75p per 10). However, the school in the petition was in Leeds so pupils probably would be within walking distance of a supermarket selling really cheap sanitary towels. The fact that they still didn't have them suggests parental neglect rather than finance and in that case, I don't think providing free sanitary towels to those on FSM is the best solution assuming funds are limited (which less face it, they will be). I just think that a better solution would be to make cheap sanitary towels available to all girls.

I don't live in UK so haven't signed, but I am actually quite shocked that this is happening...in a first world country.

It is very much a reality here in Africa. There are a lot of schemes here to get girls back into school instead of missing school for a week each month. But it is a reality, not every scheme is going to reach out to every single girl in need. The need is much more than the assistance. For the life of me, I cannot understand why sanpro is not given out free in clinics like condoms are. Girls do not choose to have a period. And we don't have cheap ranges like you do, no no-name brand towels, the cheapest pack I have found is a pack of 8 (Ultrex not sure who makes them but says made in UK) I convert them to around 1pound25 per pack (apologies I don't know where pound sign is on here..). If a girl asks in school, she will be given for the day... but it will take a lot for an embarrassed young girl to go to teacher every day, every month. These girls are using rags and rinsing them out in the bathrooms at break. Its is heartbreaking. And not only that, its not hygienic either. But what other choice do they have.

One of our large pharmacy chains had started an incentive, you buy a packet and pop it into the collection bin at the door. But its is not enough. They need a constant supply, not just one pack every now and then.

I have a teenage daughter myself. Until she started her period, I didn't realize how easy I have had mine. Heavy flow and painful. She needs to use a good quality pads otherwise she will use twice as many cheap ones. There is a initiative to hand out locally manufactured mooncups but there has been a lot of opposition really. Pads are the most commonly used form of sanpro used here, probably as they are the cheapest option day to day.

Yes some parents are neglectful. Should we just let those kids go without then?

No, but we should be helping all neglected children by providing very cheap sanitary towels for all children in schools rather than assuming that children on FSM may be neglected but other children aren't.

Roomster to be quite honest, I think every school should have a welfare fund to cover things like this. Just general things that most of us take for granted but some children might not have for a variety of reasons.

Murphys, I have previously been involved with Days for Girls who help in Africa. I haven’t done anything for them since I moved house last year but will start a local group when I can.

Such a basic need.

Re post up thread, I don’t care one bit that a parent isn’t parenting as they should. That happens in many areas of life and parenting.

My own periods have always been horrendous, the thought of a young girl being worried, humiliated and not taking part in life because of something so easily remedied is horrible.

We hope that we have made a difference on a very small scale close to our home. Came out of a friend who is a governor somewhere becoming aware of it and has gone from there.

Roomster where I used to live there was one shop which was the general store/post office/garage. It didn't sell sanpro.