Wellington: In an attempt to fight period poverty, the New Zealand government said on Wednesday that it will provide free sanitary products in schools across the country. Also Read – Victory! New Zealand Discharges its Last Coronavirus Patient From the Hospital, Twitter Says ‘Well Done’
Emphasizing that sanitary supplies for a monthly period were not a luxury, but a necessity, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said many girls skipped school because they couldn’t afford pads and tampons.
“Nearly 95,000 nine- to 18-year-olds may stay at home during their periods due to not being able to afford period products,” she said in a statement.
“By making them freely available, we support these young people to continue learning at school,” Ardern said.
New Zealand’s Minister for Women, Julie Anne Genter, also added: “Menstruation is a fact of life for half the population and access to these products is a necessity, not a luxury.”
Ardern further announced that the government will invest NZ$2.6 million into the initiative, which will be introduced during term three at 15 schools in the region of Waikato on the North Island.
The roll-out will first begin at 15 Waikato schools and will then be expanded to all state and state-integrated schools on an opt-in basis in 2021.
Twitterati was obviously impressed with Jacinda Ardern’s leadership yet again and showered praises on her:
One user wrote, ‘’I’ve got one heart. How many times will you win it. Your country has set so many examples for the world to follow in the last 2 years.”