'Just as essential as toilet paper and soap': Schoolgirls to receive free tampons as $20.7million scheme is rolled out
- Schoolgirls to soon be able to get free tampons and pads as part of new scheme
- The $20million scheme will make sanitary items available in public schools
- Premier Daniel Andrews said items were just as essential as toilet paper or soap
Schoolgirls will soon be able to get free tampons and pads as part of a multi-million dollar state government scheme.
The $20.7 million scheme, which began its roll out this week, will see the sanitary items made available in every public primary, secondary and specialist school in Victoria by the middle of next year.
'Pads and tampons are just as essential as toilet paper and soap,' Premier Daniel Andrews shared on Twitter.
'So from this week, we'll start supplying them in our public schools – free of charge.'
Schoolgirls will soon be able to get free tampons and pads as part of a mulit-million dollar scheme
Girls at one of the first campuses to get the pads and tampons, University High School at Parkville in Melbourne's inner-north, say it'll make a big difference.
'If, unexpectedly, we do get our period, it's really good to have the resources necessary so we can deal with this and move on our life,' one year eight student who did not want to be named said.
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'We don't want our period to be stopping us from doing the rest of our actives, like sport and school.'
The Andrews Labor government scheme was announced during last year's state election campaign.
Schools will also get free bins for sanitary products under the program.
'We don't want our period to be stopping us from doing the rest of our actives, like sport and school,' one girl said
The funding of $20.7 million is spread over four years.
'There's many girls and young women who can't access the sort of pads and tampons, sanitary products, easily,' Mr Andrews told journalists on Wednesday
'This is about dignity, it's about inclusive.'
