Schools providing Sanitary protection

annandale

Yeah. Sounds like you were a really great teacher.

culpepper

bellabella wrote: »

In all this discussion re useable washable sanitry towels do not seem to have been mentioned better for the environment and after an initial payment or given free then no more issues

Absolutely, a class could be set up to make reusables and include the materials for doing so and be shown how to launder them too.
One could make them from old fleece material, old cotton (such as brushed cotton pyjamas), old toweling and press studs Or velcro but really press studs are easier and velcro can be scratchy if it comes undone.
They could be hand stitched .Each girl could make a pattern from paper and then cut her material to shape and make one at school and the others at home.
Any girl not wishing to use her newly made reusable winged sanitary towel could donate it to the supplies box.
Some will be more creative and bring their own pretty fleece material but it really doesnt matter what they look like, the only place they are likely ever to be seen by the wider world is hanging on a clothes line and that is easily concealed by hanging something larger in the way.

culpepper

phryne wrote: »

I'm not sure how practical that would be in a school environment, but it's certainly worth considering.

I don't see why it would be that difficult really.
Reusable towels are around about the same dimensions as the disposables STs anyway. A girl could easily have a waterproof bag with a zip to put used towels in until home again. Even just a plastic bag tied closed would work.
If they are made with press studs to hold them in place, they can be folded into a square.
For girls with very heavy flow, a pocket for a plastic liner could be incorporated on one side of the towels for added peace of mind.

phryne

Sunny_Intervals wrote: »

Wouldn't that still mean carrying a bag of bloody towels around with you all day? That doesn't sound very hygienic.

I don't think they're allowed to carry blood products about with them during the day, and I presume a soiled towel would count as a blood product.

annandale

That assumes that there are staff who can make them. I'm not sure if there are still sewing classes at primary or secondary school. I would imagine not in every secondary school and they certainly didn't teach sewing at the primary schools my mum taught in

annandale

Some schools are providing washing machines because parents don't have the money to pay fuel. Again mostly due to issues with benefit and sanctions.

fabforty

phryne wrote: »

I remember when we were at school (1980s) you could go to the office if you had an emergency need for sanitary towels, but the school certainly wouldn't be expected to provide them to all pupils as a matter of course. We were an all-female school, in a rough area in London, with pupils from all backgrounds including very poor ones, yet nobody was absent due to not having sanitary protection.

Sorry but you can't possibly know this. These girls wouldn't come in and tell everyone why they had been absent, they would just make up something - stomach ache, headache, or in many cases simply bunk off.

phryne

fabforty wrote: »

Sorry but you can't possibly know this. These girls wouldn't come in and tell everyone why they had been absent, they would just make up something - stomach ache, headache, or in many cases simply bunk off.

Stomach ache or headache once a month might have been noticed and picked up on. Or they could just have said they were off with period pains. But I stand by what I said, people back then used to prioritise budgetting for essentials, and sanitary protection is essential. I don't know why millennials are making such a drama out of this (as they do about so many other things we all took in our stride). You'd think they were the first women ever to have periods!

grandma247

There are a number of charities that send pads, pants, soap and a strong ziplock bag to girls in African schools because too many have to miss up to a week of school every month. schooling is expensive and with many children in a family there is no money for expensive disposables. With a bit of education, teachers as well as students,there is no reason why girls here couldn't have the same. The pads can last up to four years if cared for. For anyone who wants to make their own you can buy a fabric called Zorb that is used as a highly absorbant inner core and you can double up for extra protection. Make sure you wash all fabrics before cutting out and apparently zorb needs careful washing and drying first because it is not woven and rough washing will make it fall apart. Once it is sewn inside it is stable. Personally I preferred flannelette for the outer fabric on mine. I don't need them now but have thought of making them to give away.

phryne

toomuchmonthnomoney wrote: »

This thread is about period poverty. Not whether people took things in their stride.

You got through 215 posts of this discussion despite having joined only today You also seem familiar with the goings on on the Mooloo thread, too. Hmm.