900 students in three schools are the first beneficiaries of a new initiative to, among others, address the problem of the stigma linked to the menstrual cycle.

Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms Rebecca Buttigieg launched the pilot project in three schools, two State and Church, through which the female students will have at their disposal free of charge menstrual products in schools.

At the launch of this initiative at the Santa Monika Secondary School in Birkirkara, she said that this project is also being carried out at Gozo College Middle School in Victoria and Maria Regina College Secondary School in Mosta and eventually it will spread to all middle and secondary schools.

The students will be able to use two types of menstrual products dispensed from three special machines that have been installed in the schools.

Parliamentary Secretary Buttigieg said that the goal of this project is to reduce the stigma that is still attached to a natural process that every woman goes through in her life, while it will improve the hygiene of the students in – schools. In this way it is aimed to reduce the absenteeism of female students while it will also ease the financial burden of families for the purchase of these essential products.

The Parliamentary Secretary said that during this school year, the results of this pilot project will be surveyed with the aim that from the next school year, this initiative can be carried out in middle schools and all secondary.

Photo: DOI

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