An incredible step forward.

Period products will soon be free in all state schools and colleges in England. Tampons, pads, and menstrual cups will from next week be available free of charge to all students as part of a new programme aiming to tackle period poverty. The DofE-funded scheme is part of the government's latest initiative to ensure fewer young girls miss school because they are struggling to pay for sanitary products. The stigma around menstruation is also expected to be tackled as a direct result of the programme. “Periods are a normal part of everyday life and we do not want young people missing out on lessons because of them," said Michelle Donelan, minister for children and families in the UK. “This scheme will deal with those problems so young people can go about their daily lives without getting caught out.” A 2017 study by Plan International found that 10 percent of women and girls aged between 14-21 cannot afford sanitary products like pads and tampons. Similar, 15 percent of the same group had struggled to afford the products in the past. Almost half those surveyed said that getting their period was a source of embarrassment for them. Scotland became the first country to make free sanitary products available to all students in 2018. Wales made the change in the following year. England's new programme will be rolled out to 20,000 schools next week.