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.

EvilDoctorBallerinaRoastDuck Did you live in Leeds or any other town/city? If not, I'm not sure what your point is...

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.

If there is a welfare fund to cover this, some girls won't want to ask for them. If there are limited funds (which there will be) I think a better solution is to make them very accessible and cheap to all girls.

No, I didn't. Some girls don't live within walking distance from a chemist or supermarket. Or were we only talking about helping girls in Leeds?

I have been poor enough not to be able to afford sanpro, and that was just for me as an adult. I used rags and washed them. It was grim.

Signed, sealed and delivered.

No, I didn't. Some girls don't live within walking distance from a chemist or supermarket. Or were we only talking about helping girls in Leeds?

I didn't say that all girls live within waking distance of a supermarket or chemist. Have you read the petition? It is based on the fact that a school in Leeds asked a charity for sanitary protection. As those girls will be within walking distance of a supermarket with very cheap sanitary towels (whether or not you live near one) it suggests that the problem isn't necessarily related to finance and may be more to do with neglect. If that is the case it would be better to target all children rather than just those on FSM as you can't assume that FSM = parental neglect and no FDM = caring parent who provides sanitary towels.

I have relatives who live in Leeds and they're a good 20 minute drive from their nearest supermarket, longer by bus as it goes halfway around the world first.

Likewise where I live is classed as the name of our nearest city but in reality is actually 15 miles outside of the outskirts of that city.

My address reads:

MyHandsAreHighMyFeetAreLow
69 That Street
That Town
This City
AB1 2DC

Anyone referring to where I live using my address would refer to me living in This City and would wonder why I don't have immediate access to a supermarket. My nearest supermarket is eight miles away, it's next door to three other supermarkets, but I don't have one in walking distance.

I imagine there are similar areas in Leeds and in other cities across the country. As it stands there isn't a supermarket in our city centre, there are only 'express' style mini supermarkets which usually don't stock the basic range products in the toiletries section.

I have relatives who live in Leeds and they're a good 20 minute drive from their nearest supermarket, longer by bus as it goes halfway around the world first.

I have lived in Leeds and can't think of anywhere in the city that is a more than three miles from a supermarket although I accept that the school might not actually be in Leeds. There will probably be chemist shops with quite cheap sanitary towels within walking distance though. Regardless I still think that in a lot of cases the cause is neglect rather than financial and therefore if funds are limited it would be better to target all pupils by giving easyaccess to very cheap sanitary towels (e.g. by vending machine) rather than just those on FSM.

No, no, I completely get what you mean. Neglect and abuse aren't limited to specific income brackets and a family with a seven figure income is just as capable of neglect as one with a four figure income.

Yes Roomster but even those who live near a supermarket that sells cheap sanitary towels may not have enough money to buy them. As I recounted in my previous post. Food is more of a necessity than sanpro.

I think it's great to bring attention to this OP. It's very sad and while I agree with others that it would be great to tackle neglectful parents, that takes a lot of time and resources (both at premium right now) and girls and young women need help in bad situations for many . It shouldn't be about one or the other but ideally both. It's very difficult to enforce parental responsibility particularly as young people get older.

As for mooncups, by their own recommendations they should be sterilized between each cycle (education, education, infection prevention) and while there are some that say they last 'up to 10 years' a lot of writing on them say 2-5 year of monthly use - not for someone's "entire reproductive life". I used mooncups with pads happily for on and off for 10 years (because leaks and pregnancies) and then they became intensely painful for me to use so now I just use cloth pads. I still have a very visible box of various disposable menstrual products in my bathroom for others, particularly my kids' friends, who may be caught out rather than discuss the benefits of cloth.

Yes Roomster but even those who live near a supermarket that sells cheap sanitary towels may not have enough money to buy them. As I recounted in my previous post. Food is more of a necessity than sanpro.

Personally, unless starving I would prioritise sanpro if only 23p for 10 towels. I'm not suggesting that neglectful parents are "tackled". I'm suggesting that if resources are limited, very cheap sanpro is made available to all school girls as this will benefit those with neglectful parents as well as those on FSM who don't live near to a large supermarket.

I've been in the situation where myself, XH and 2 DC have been living on Marmite on toast for months on end. You could have described XH as neglectful, but not me, as he gave me £10 a week to buy everything, and even 20 years ago that meant food and fuck all else. He spent £60 a month on hobby magazines.

@Roomster101*

I get what you're saying I think. It's a two fold problem. One is lack of finances within the household, and possibly lack of access to the cheaper options of buying anything, sanitary protection included. The other is neglectful parenting, where the necessities aren't provided. And yes, essentially you are right that it's not just girls in receipt of FSM that will be suffering from not having sanitary protection provided, or the funds to provide them for themselves. In that respect I agree that providing only for girls on FSM wouldn't solve the problem of parents who can afford it not providing. I'm not sure though that in either situation, all girls would have access to any money for sanitary protection. Especially those with parents who already don't provide, and/or are controlling. But to roll out an initiative where it's free for all girls? I could see that being abused.

But to roll out an initiative where it's free for all girls? I could see that being abused.

I think it might be abused if totally free but less likely if a few pence e.g. 10p for 3, so that most of those with neglectful parents as well as those suffering from financial hardship (not just on FSM) could benefit. If available via a vending machine, girls wouldn't have to ask for it (probably embarrassing for some). I appreciate that there would perhaps be a small minority who couldn't by sanpro for even 10p (perhaps there would need to be a mechanism for dealing with those cases) but I think that overall it would result in fewer children not having sanpro compared with just supplying free sanpro for those on FSM.

There are 2 issues with charging for sanpro
1/ not all children will have cash on them
2/ most schools are pretty much cashless which means they won't accept cash and not all parents can afford the minimum top up on the payment card

Kpo58 My children's school is cashless but they don't have a minimum amount for top ops. Also cash can be used to top up. Anyway, they could and I think should have vending machines in the toilets with cheap sanpro. It doesn't have to be cashless.

Signed petition. I can't believe anyone could have any objections to providing sanitary protection to whoever needs it whatever the reason.