Most women in the UK want period products to be free - yet we remain plagued by period poverty

As the pandemic made it even harder for people to afford period products, Kate Ng finds out why free and widely accessible period care should be prioritised

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Most women in the UK believe that free period products should become more widely available, a study has suggested, yet period poverty is still a serious issue facing women and girls across the country.

A survey of over 1,106 respondents between the ages of 19 and 54, by period care brand, Yoppie, found that an overwhelming 98 per cent agreed that free period care should be more widely accessible, highlighting how strongly women feel that there should be improved access.

Yet despite this obvious appetite for increased accessibility, 13 per cent reported having struggled to access period products before. And one in five women (20 per cent) have struggled with the cost of period care at some point in their lives.

It comes as period charity Bloody Good Period told The Independent it is currently meeting a level of demand for period products six times higher compared to before the coronavirus pandemic struck last year.

Based on figures from the Office for National Statistics, women living in North Norfolk - where the average take-home salary of a woman is £14,354 - faced the biggest potential threat from period poverty, followed by those living in Rotherham and Middlesborough.

The average woman has to spend £55.80 on period products such as tampons and pads every year.

Women living Pendle, St Ives, Great Yarmouth, Bolton North East, Blackburn, Preston, Suffolk and Kingston upon Hull were also in the top 20 at-risk areas of potential period poverty - showing that the cost of period care is a problem for women throughout the country.

Last month, research by international children’s charity Plan UK found that more than a third (36 per cent) of girls aged 14 to 21 in the UK struggled to afford or access period products during the pandemic – equivalent to over a million girls.

Half did not have enough money to buy period products at all at some point over the past year, and of that, 73 per cent resorted to using toilet paper as a makeshift pad.

That this basic biological function is factored into how our society functions

Of the girls who were able to buy period care but found it difficult, some said they had to cut back on other essential items like food (30 per cent), hygiene products such as soap or toothpaste (23 per cent) and clothing (39 per cent) in order to do so.

Gabby Edlin, CEO and founder of Bloody Good Period, told The Independent that the findings did not come as a surprise and added that the charity fully agreed with the women calling for free and widely accessible period care.

She said: “At the end of last year, we started our #BloodyFree petition to call on the UK government to make period products freely available to everyone who needs them.

“This would of course tackle the immediate issue of so many people not being able to afford or access period products, especially in the current global context where the pandemic has pushed more people into financial hardship and poverty.

“It would also show that we as a society recognise that the needs of women and people who menstruate matter, and that this basic biological function is factored into how our society functions,” she continued.

“It would mean that no-one was held back by their period, because that just isn’t something that should be happening in 2021.”

The government made period products free for schools and colleges in England in December. The new scheme was welcomed with open arms, but it still means that anyone under the age of 16 and over the age of 19 who are not in school are not eligible for the support.

Scotland, however, became the first country in the world to make period products free for “anyone who needs them” and local authorities must ensure they are freely available.

However, polling by Plan UK showed that only half (49 per cent) of girls aged 14 to 18 in England and Scotland said free period products were provided in their schools and colleges.

Period poverty is driven by a ‘toxic trio’ of issues

Rose Caldwell, CEO of Plan UK, said: “While access to period products is essential to tackling period poverty, it is only part of the solution. Period poverty is driven by a ‘toxic trio’ of issues, which on top of access to period products, includes a lack of education and the stigma and shame surrounding menstruation.

“We must ensure that girls and young women are not only supported with free access to products, but also receive education on periods and feel able to talk about the issue without fear of shame or stigma.”

Edlin added that access to period products is a “matter of human rights” and should not be left simply to charities and the goodwill of those donating.

She added: “Ending period poverty is not just about supplying products - it’s about normalising them as a topic of conversation, and taking away the indoctrinated shame that leads to them being taboo and ignored - so that everybody can access the information, products and support they need.”