Socks, tissues and sellotape. Those are just a few of the supplies school girls around the UK are having to use as a substitute for sanitary products. Although it's damaging to their health, due to their desperation, they don't have a choice. Many are already aware of period poverty in third world countries, among homeless women but now our attention has been drawn to the epidemic right on our doorstep, or more appropriately our school gates.
Regular truancy during a specific time of the month is increasing rapidly among UK schoolgirls, as free school meal students feel shameful and miss school due to not having access to sanitary products. Some girls feel guilty asking their family for money to buy tampons and pads, viewing these products as a luxury, not a basic necessity.
Some schools around the UK have a few sanitary products in their reception for accidents and emergencies, however little thought has been put into regularly providing products for girls from deprived backgrounds. Female education is at risk due to menstruation still being treated as a taboo. These girls would rather compromise their educational opportunities to stay at home as they fear going into school on their period without any protection.
Your teenage years are already filled with insecurity, standing up and fearing you have leaked or believing somehow people 'know' that you are on your period. Now imagine the level of insecurity these girls must feel who are so desperate they have had to use sellotape to stick toilet paper to their knickers. It is no wonder that they refuse to attend school when they could be at home, in their dressing gown with access to a toilet that they can use without needing permission.
Amika George, the creator of the petition that started this discussion, has teamed up with tampon tax campaigners in the hope that all schools will provide free sanitary products to FSM students. The successful petition has already accumulated over 6,000 supporters. The 17-year-old student has already got the support of politicians, for example Labour MP Helen Goodman in the House of Commons questioned if ‘the Government offers any provision of female sanitary products for women who consider themselves unable to afford such products.’
Therefore it is clear that Amika, is already helping better the education for many UK girls as she ignited a thought-provoking discussion concerning a topic many of us would have otherwise been ignorantly unaware of. Amika discovered that school girls were experiencing period poverty "when it came to light that the charity Freedom4Girls, who send sanitary products to girls in Kenya was approached by a school in Leeds" she adds "I was just horrified that this was happening in our country in 2017."
Having to cope with cramps, mood-swings and other PMS symptoms every month is already unpleasant, now imagine having "to deal with shame, embarrassment and loss of dignity in making your own sanitary provision" says Amika. Due to it still being treated as a taboo girls feel too ashamed to ask for help from their school.
In terms of period poverty's long term affects, it feeds back into the cycle of deprivation. Due to our society many people already struggle with trying to break out of deprivation, now imagine how much harder this must be for girls who are forced to regularly truant.
Amika says "They start to feel isolated and the more they miss school, the further they fall behind and the more any ambition starts to dissipate."
In terms of the impact the online petition has already had Amika explains that "people have been writing to their MPs, it's been so encouraging. The comments left on the petiton have been really humbling and serves to remind me just why I'm doing this."
With the Election vastly approaching, Amika is encouraging everyone to write to their local MP, "it’s so important that we voice our concerns and ask which parties are brave enough to tackle period poverty. Tell your MP that we need change."
Sign the petition here: #freeperiods