• Disrupting Power Since 2015
  • Donate
  • Login
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
  • Login
  • Register
Canary
MEDIA THAT DISRUPTS
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION
SUPPORT
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Canary
No Result
View All Result

More Tory nonsense, this time over period poverty

Steve Topple by Steve Topple
18 January 2020
in Trending, UK
Reading Time: 3 mins read
170 2
A A
2
Home Trending
319
SHARES
2.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Tory’s latest grand pledge about poverty has not washed with many people. Rightly so, as its new measures to tackle period poverty fall way short of the mark. Moreover, it’s really just sticking plasters on broken legs.

Another day, more lip service?

As ITV News reported, next week the Department for Education (DfE) will roll out free sanitary products for schools. The policy’s not new. It was announced by former chancellor Philip Hammond in 2019. But it’s only just got off the ground.

Under the scheme, primary and secondary schools will be able to order sanitary products. The government will fund these. Girls and young women will be able to access these products when they need them.

Children and families minister Michelle Donelan bigged the project up. She told ITV News:

We know that it is not easy for everyone to access period products where and when they need them.

This scheme will deal with those problems so young people can go about their daily lives without getting caught out if they have come on their period unexpectedly, [have] forgotten to bring products with them or if they can’t afford the products they need.

Girls and women not being able to afford sanitary products is a major problem. As the website Global Women Connected noted, in the UK:

  • “1 in 10 girls aged 14 to 21 can’t afford menstrual products”
  • “Half of all schoolgirls miss a full day of school because of their period”
  • “The average UK woman will spend more than £18,000 on periods over her lifetime”
Period Power speaks

Linda Allbutt from campaign group Period Power was less than impressed. She told The Canary:

It’s an opt in service so I feel some schools may miss this. There are certain restrictions on quantities allowed set against the numbers of menstruating girls. We deliver whatever is asked and whenever it’s asked.

We feel that this is only addressing a small number of menstruaters. Many many women are isolated each month as they cannot afford the correct sanitary protection. This is absolutely a result of austerity measures and this still needs addressing. We are campaigning now to get products in all workplace toilets. [We’ve] already had some success. Toilet paper and soap are expected so why not sanitary products?

Twitter does its thing

The Tory policy also left much of Twitter unimpressed. Melanie Harvey noted that period poverty isn’t exclusive to schools:

Free sanitary products for girls in school is welcome but long long overdue. Now make them free for ALL females. Periods aren’t a choice. Tampax aren’t a luxury, they’re a human right. End #periodpoverty

— melanie harvey (@melharvey72) January 18, 2020

One user raised a good point about health conditions and illnesses:

https://twitter.com/SomeRachael/status/1218463335617847296

Some real talk, right here:

https://twitter.com/cinnamxnwitch/status/1218465845271310338

And, in response to some people asserting that period poverty isn’t a ‘thing’, Alex summed it up quite well:

https://twitter.com/PaperFolderMan/status/1218458753042911232

The root of the issue

As Allbutt alluded to, the policy doesn’t really get to the heart of the issue. Because it isn’t addressing why some people are so poor they can’t afford the products in the first place. To do that, the Tories would have to deal with the following:

  • 30% of children living in poverty.
  • 70% of children in poverty in a household where one person works.
  • 8 million people living in working households but in relative poverty.
If men bled…

Tackling the root causes of period poverty is probably too much to ask of the Tories. But never mind. As Matt neatly summed up:

If men bled once a month out of their cocks, #periodpoverty would have been eroded half a century ago. Sanitary products are a basic necessity, that society should provide free for women; period!

— Matt (@MATTxLAW) January 18, 2020

Of course, if you’re a man you can still get free condoms. C21st equality, hey?

Featured image via EU2017EE Estonian Presidency – Wikimedia and Sarah Naqvi – Creative Commons

Share128Tweet80
Previous Post

Hundreds of protesters step in to stop HS2 tree felling

Next Post

A British woman explains why she intended to cut the Gaza fence

Next Post
Julia Lister

A British woman explains why she intended to cut the Gaza fence

Utopia graffiti

Here are the ten pledges every Labour leadership contender really should sign up to

Girls and young women feel unsafe, held back by sexism and that boys are treated better

Examples of left-wing symbols on counter terror document

At first I couldn't stop laughing at the cops' counter-terror list. But I stopped because it's utterly sinister.

Jackie Walker

The Board of Deputies, messing with the left and levering to the right since 2015

Please login to join discussion
Jeremy Corbyn
Analysis

Jeremy Corbyn suggests a new party will be in place before 2026 elections

by Ed Sykes
21 May 2025
Donald Trump tax and debt
Analysis

Trump’s tax breaks for his rich mates could add $3 trillion to US national debt

by Steve Topple
21 May 2025
Co-op Israeli products
Trending

Pressure rises on Co-op board to follow through on boycott of Israeli products

by Ed Sykes
21 May 2025
Liz Kendall dodging a question about DWP cuts
Trending

Watch as Liz Kendall scurries away from a disabled person calling out DWP cuts

by Steve Topple
21 May 2025
Liz Kendall talking about DWP PIP cuts
Analysis

Liz Kendall just lied again about how many people will be hit by DWP PIP cuts

by Steve Topple
21 May 2025
  • Contact
  • About & FAQ
  • Get our Daily News Email
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

The Canary
PO Box 71199
LONDON
SE20 9EX

Canary Media Ltd – registered in England. Company registration number 09788095.

For guest posting, contact [email protected]

For other enquiries, contact: [email protected]

The Canary is owned and run by independent journalists and volunteers, NOT offshore billionaires.

You can write for us, or support us by making a regular or one-off donation.

© Canary Media Ltd 2024, all rights reserved | Website by Monster | Hosted by Krystal | Privacy Settings

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion

© 2023 Canary - Worker's co-op.

Before you go, have you seen...?

Jeremy Corbyn
Analysis
Ed Sykes

Jeremy Corbyn suggests a new party will be in place before 2026 elections

Donald Trump tax and debt
Analysis
Steve Topple

Trump’s tax breaks for his rich mates could add $3 trillion to US national debt

Co-op Israeli products
Trending
Ed Sykes

Pressure rises on Co-op board to follow through on boycott of Israeli products

Liz Kendall dodging a question about DWP cuts
Trending
Steve Topple

Watch as Liz Kendall scurries away from a disabled person calling out DWP cuts

ADVERTISEMENT
Analysis
Nathan Spears

Vote for the Press Photograph of the Year 2024

Image by Burkard Meyendriesch from Pixabay
Feature
Nathan Spears

Why Santiago Ways is the Leading Choice for Walking the Camino de Santiago

Environment
Nathan Spears

EU elections point to growing public desire for new policymaking approach in Brussels