Slightly off topic. Male prisoners are provided with shaving equipment free of charge as it's been established as a human right for a man to shave. Female prisoners have to buy their san pro, inc VAT.
Period poverty IS an issue, and not just a maths/budget/affordability problem. So many other issues that impact on women, families and poverty are impacting on the availability of san pro. I work with young people affected. Here are real examples told to me.
Single parent, 2 daughters. Yr11 and Yr9. All got their period within 2 days of each other. Common occurrence. Mum worked zero hours contract, paid weekly. Yr11 doing mock GCSEs that week. Only 2 towels left, no money till pay day. If mum doesn't go to work, they have no food next week. Yr9 daughter stayed at home as oldest had priority over the remaining sanitary towel due to her exams.
Yr7 girl shared custody arrangement with mum and dad following very volatile split. Dad earned significantly more than mum but did not have to pay maintenance as 50/50 split. Mum less skilled as had taken time out to have kids, 2 younger siblings. Unable to get full time hours so working minimum wage for 3 days p/w. Dad would not buy clothes, toys, essentials for kids on 'his' days. Mum put her foot down after months of EA and refused to let the kids take anything other than 1 set of PJs each. School uniform was not being provided by dad. Mum got CB, he argued she should pay. The YR7 girl never once felt able to ask her dad to buy san pro, not when he wouldn't even buy uniform. Mum thought she was standing up for herself, not throwing her daughter under the bus. Daughter won't tell mum as doesn't want more rows.
Chaotic lifestyle where essentials like food, washing powder and san pro were not prioritised as purchases by parents. Drug and alcohol issues and social services involved. Always a pile of socks left in the bathroom for using when needing to have a poo. It was expected that 3 primary and secondary age girls should use the socks to improvise for their periods too. They had poor attendance at school and one said to me she could not risk the humiliation of leaking, smelling and being found out.
Providing free san pro at school is a human rights issue. The right to equal access to education. So many girls miss school because they don't have the fundamental basics they need to manage a biological function, one that places them at a disadvantage to their male peers.