Free menstrual products for schoolgirls in Ghent

The City of Ghent is launching a pilot project in four secondary schools that offers menstrual pads and tampons to girls free of charge. Funding for the project is coming from the federal government.

According to research carried out by refugee assistance organisation Caritas, about one in eight girls come from families that can’t always afford feminine hygiene products. “Sometimes they actually stay  home from school when they are menstruating,” education city councillor Elke Dencruynaere (Groen) told VRT.

Girls can ask for a code to access dispensers of hygiene products. “We will place the dispensers in a discreet place,” explained Decruynaeere. “Not everyone in the school needs to know who is using the system.”

She points out that girls can always ask at the office of any school for a menstrual pad if they need one, in a pinch. The pilot project is meant to address the issue more broadly and over the long-term.

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