Amelia is a passionate advocate for eradicating period poverty from Australia. Her work has made her a powerful and promising advocate for countless young adults who share this experience. Most recently, she pushed to make free period products more accessible. This means that now, schools throughout the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) provide these basic materials. The ACT government is committed to eradicating period poverty. They’ve come to realize that access to pads and tampons can make a significant difference in keeping students on their educational journeys.
With the implementation of the new pilot program, 31 public schools will have dispensers for free menstrual products installed in their bathrooms. One of the goals of this program is to allow students to feel more comfortable getting ahold of these critical materials without having to go up to their teachers. As Tattam noted, “We were really shocked to find a lot of students within our school were dealing with period poverty and were struggling with access to the products.”
Government Support for the Initiative
Yvette Berry, the ACT Education Minister, highlighted the government’s desire to alleviate period poverty once and for all. Making sure students have the supplies they need will ensure they come to class ready to learn and engaging their education to the fullest,” she said.
“It means they can participate in their education in a range of different ways and it won’t hold them back.” – Yvette Berry
In addition to the prolific physical items, the ACT government has created curricular materials that students use to showcase their efforts. These valuable resources not only help to raise awareness and education around menstrual health with male and female students, but they… According to Ms. Molloy, a local educator, “With the rollout of the pilot program, we’ve been given… some learning resources for our students, which our teachers have delivered, and that’s been really successful too.”
This two-pronged approach helps ensure students have immediate access to menstrual products. Along with its catchy melody and infectious hooks, it addresses the stigma around menstruation directly.
Impact on Students’ Lives
The plan has widespread support from educators, including Ms. Molloy. She leaned into how important it is for students to have private access to period products. She stated that having pads available in bathrooms allows students to obtain them with dignity, thus removing a significant barrier to education.
“So, having those period products available to them in a space where they can access them with dignity is extremely important for our students.” – Ms. Molloy
This initiative is especially urgent since for many students, school will be the first place where they start their period. These early conversations in classrooms, according to Ms. Molloy, help demystify the topic and foster more open conversations about menstruation.
“We’ve had some conversations with our students in year 4 about where to go and how to access those products, and what it means for them.” – Ms. Molloy
Tattam shared how proud she is to be witnessing her vision come to reality. She went on to say that the expansion of the program was “really special.” She was well aware of the extraordinary change it will bring to so many students’ lives.
“We want to make it normal and we want to help drive that change.” – Amelia Tattam
