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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Girls missing school because of poverty

446 replies

user1496170327 · 31/05/2017 11:08

Hello Everyone!

Thanks to everyone who suggested posting in this thread!

I'm a teenage girl who's started a campaign to help girls who can't afford sanitary products.

Some of you may have read recently that girls across the UK skip school because they can't face the shame of going to school without adequate sanitary care.

Some use socks, toilet roll and sellotape, or even newspaper. Young girls are living in such extreme poverty, and I believe this must be discussed and addressed, especially when this can harm their health.

I was absolutely horrified that this is happening in Britain and felt that something had to be done. So, I'm calling on the government to provide free sanitary provision for girls in need, as a first step. I'm writing to MPs every day and the response, so far, has been really positive. I think that this is something that can happen with enough support!

I'm really hoping that you will agree that this is so very important- that all girls should be able to access essential care and go to school with confidence and that we should not be disadvantaged because of our gender. May I ask you to add your name to my petition to the government, and if you could share on social media, that would be amazing!

https:/https://www.change.org/p/theresa-may-mp-free-sanitary-products-for-girls-on-free-school-meals-freeperiods

I'm writing an article for a newspaper about period poverty in schools, and if you've been in this dreadful situation yourself, I'd really appreciate it if you could get in touch, if you're happy to!

Thank you so much for your support!! I really appreciate it, and I believe that if enough people want to change this situation, we can make it happen. Thanks again!

[email protected]

OP posts:
user1495025590 · 31/05/2017 20:49

The best thing anyone can do to help kids like this is do not vote conservative

brasty · 31/05/2017 20:50

My parents refused to buy me deodorant as they saw it as a luxury item

RainbowsAndUnicorn · 31/05/2017 20:55

The best thing anyone can do to help kids like this is do not vote conservative

Yes because voting for another party is suddenly going to make all the neglectful parents suddenly step up and purchase necessities Hmm

AwkwardSquad · 31/05/2017 21:04

Signed. Well done for bringing this to people's attention, OP.

user1495025590 · 31/05/2017 21:07

rainbows have you actually read the tales of hardship on this thread?Honestly people like you are the ones who overlook poverty, you are perpetuating it!!

CaulkheadUpNorf · 31/05/2017 21:13

This was an issue for me. My mum had MS and couldn't leave the house alone. She would shop with my dad each week but if I ran out during the week of sanpro then that was it. My mum was scared of my dad, no way would she ask him to go out specially, and tbh I wouldn't have told her because I knew there was no chance of anything else. This is pre-online shopping, I was about 11 or 12.

marmiteloversunite · 31/05/2017 21:15

Signed. Well done.

Rhodiolia · 31/05/2017 21:28

My university trialed something like this, a bag of san-pro in all the girls toilets provided by the Students association. Fantastic idea.

Scotlady · 31/05/2017 21:38

Well done on this OP. Signed and shared.
CaulkheadUpNorf and so many other's stories have really opened my eyes to this. I didn't realise that there were so many people suffering from this.
Sad to see how a few people display such lack of empathy though.
Will see how I can help to publicise this further.

Scotlady · 31/05/2017 21:42

OP, make sure you encourage people to share with contacts and on social media. Best of luck with this!

Rhodiolia · 31/05/2017 21:55

I have signed, shared on social media and emailed the petition to the First Minister.

IcebergIgloos · 31/05/2017 21:57

As a teacher, I've witnessed this firsthand. It's really heartbreaking to see how helpless some girls are when they have their period. You can see the panic, the stress and the shame on their faces. Some open up to me, but others will tell me nothing is wrong, followed by a period of absence from school. Same time, every month.

It's distasteful to hear people saying how little sanpro cost. Easy to judge how money should be spent, but I know parents who can't afford the 75p per pack of own brand sanpro, and some have 3 or 4 girls who have periods, some with heavy periods.
It's not a choice they make, as others have said.

Well done OP. This is commendable and we should all be helping to make the government pay attention to this worthwhile campaign.

IcebergIgloos · 31/05/2017 22:00

Forgot to say I've signed and shared.

I'm going to email this to my MP.

I was thinking about sending an email to female MPs who are interested in women's issues. Any idea who is best to target?

NeverGonnaGiveyouUp79 · 31/05/2017 22:06

What about Harriet Harman, Jess Philips. Yvette Fletcher, Justine Greening. Anyone else think of who else to write to?

Signed and shared. I'm horrified that we are reading about this happening in a so-called developed nation, and even more horrified that this hasn't been proposed in the Conservative Manifesto.

SynysterGates · 31/05/2017 22:13

Caroline lucas

Wow this thread has shocked me
This should be a mn campaign

Austenfoundout · 31/05/2017 22:20

OP, did I see your campaign featured in Stylist Magazine? I remember Lucy Mangan's column highlighting how important it was?

I have to be honest and say that I didn't realise this was an issue, and I'm ashamed that I've had my head in the clouds.

signed and shared with pleasure.

culturecrisis · 31/05/2017 22:28

The Green Party have included this in their 2017 manifesto I think. Not sure but I think I saw an article in one of the papers about it.

when I was growing up, I'd borrow from my friends and the girls who lived on my road. I remember the torture of not wanting to go out with friends because I knew that if my pad got soaked through, I'd make a mess, so I stayed indoors. My mum knew, and felt guilty but she had no choice as we were poor. She did waste money, but we had very little to go round.

This campaign needs to be delivered to No 10 and girls who are going through this today need a way out. Good on you OP for starting this.

WildNightsWithAndyDay · 31/05/2017 22:34

Signed. This has bought back horrible memories of having to save my lunch money to buy sanpro as a young teenager- dm had been hospitalised due to a breakdown and after my dad gave me a fiver once after much embarassed asking it was quite clear he thought that would last indefinitely.

I lived in an smallish town in south west which - unbelievably apparently- didn't have a Boots or a supermarket.

GherkinSnatch · 31/05/2017 22:36

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/15157921.Holyrood_Member_s_Bill_aims_to_tackle__period_poverty_/

Monica Lennon is pursuing a Members Bill on this in Holyrood, and this is direct from their manifesto for this election
"Scottish Labour will introduce a Member’s Bill to tackle the public health issue of period poverty, which prices sanitary products out of the reach of women and girls without the means to purchase what they need."
Definitely worth emailing both Monica and your own MSP.

carefreeeee · 31/05/2017 22:43

It should be provided free for all schoolgirls. Having periods is difficult enough as a teenager even if your parents provide you with plenty of pads etc. More openness, discussion and availability of products in school toilets, combined with the toilets being clean and pleasant to use, would be a massive help for all girls.

I agree with those who say that handing out freebies isn't going to solve all the problems in society, but on this specific issue I would make an exception as heavy periods really do make life so miserable. I think I'd rather be short of food as it's much easier to get free food. In the longer term, think about who you vote for very carefully....(won't solve neglectful parenting instantly but will pay for better social interventions and better support in school as well as eventually better educated and better off parents who will be less neglectful)

Perfectly1mperfect · 31/05/2017 22:47

I think there are two things that need to happen.

Firstly, these girls need sanitary protection. Regardless of the reasons why they are not being provided with it by their parents, it is a necessity and they must get it so I agree with the petition.

Secondly, however, we do need to look at why the parents are not providing them with it. I believe it is neglect. I know people who are by no means well and have daughters. They manage to provide it, as well as 3 meals each day, clothing etc. So it's either these parents are not budgeting well or they are neglecting their children's needs. These families need help and intervention, hopefully just with budgeting better but worse case scenario if they are not looking after their children well and not meeting their basic needs then I think we need to ask whether the children should be in their care.

So although I think they should be provided as it is awful to think of girls without access to such a necessary item, I don't think we should just provide them without looking into it further. I think many of these poor girls come from families where unfortunately other basic needs are not met.

MyStoryNotYours · 31/05/2017 22:55

I've been reading this thread in horror. Wow to think this is going on in our shores is abhorrent.

I'm actually quite aghast at how some posters seem not to understand that some people are poor. Poverty is an issue. Poverty leads to difficult choices being made which will be criticised by some people, but these girls are mostly not in control here.

We can't condemn these girls to more suffering because people believe their parents are neglecting them. I agree that the government needs to understand why people are poor, but people have always been poor, and poverty will never, ever disappear, so best to address the issue of these girls missing school so they can have a full and continued education like their male counterparts and not be disadvantaged because they are girls and because they are poor. Signed and shared.

Lightsofftoday · 31/05/2017 23:02

GherkinSnatch that's great news about Monica Lennon. We just need Parliament to do the same here.

Why aren't women in Parliament standing up for these girls whose education is being hampered by not being able to afford sanitary products?

ClottedCreamAndDevonTea · 31/05/2017 23:08

WildNightsWithAndyDay Your story is heartbreaking. To have that kind of stress as a teenager, on top of everything else, is unimaginable.

This is a very worthwhile campaign OP. Thanks for starting this thread.

ThingsofDramaAreBest · 31/05/2017 23:20

This brings back some harrowing memories for me. Borrowing, stealing, begging for sanitary products in my teens.

This should not be happening to girls now.

OP Well done you. How can we get this more publicity?