Period products are freely available across Scotland to tackle rising rates of period poverty. Yet, they’re not free in England or Wales. We want to change this.

We are a group of students at The Cooper School who are passionate about tackling period stigma and poverty.

When we discovered period products are free in Scotland, including in the most rural areas, we assumed the same must be true for England and Wales. But it isn’t. We were shocked to find we don’t have the same rights to these essential products at all.

This problem is more pressing now than ever. The cost of living crisis had caused period poverty levels to skyrocket.

Research by ActionAid found the percentage of women who are struggling to afford period products rose from 12% to 21% from 2022 to 2023 and charity Bloody Good Period reported a 78% increase in the need for free period products in the same timeframe.

Nobody should go without period products.

We’re calling on the UK Government to make period products free in public bathrooms across England and Wales.

Help us by signing our petition and joining our movement.

Many thanks, student of The Cooper School

You can read more about what we have done in school here.

To support this campaign you can write to you MP with the following information:

The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 places duties on local authorities and education providers to make period products obtainable free of charge for anyone who needs to use them. Building on existing voluntary policies, the Act ensures that everyone in Scotland who menstruates can have reasonably convenient access to period products, free of charge, as and when they are required.

We believe the same should be true in England and Wales too. Access to period products is fundamental to equality and dignity.