TAFE SA has announced it will provide free menstrual hygiene products on campuses to its student population.
The $300,000 a year commitment from the State Government will see more than 140 dispensers providing free pads and tampons installed in all TAFE SA female, unisex, and disabled bathrooms on campuses across the state.
“Girls and women should always be empowered to equally and actively participate in every aspect of community life,” said Minister for Women, Katrine Hildyard.
“The cost of having your period should never be a barrier to that full and active participation – in education, sport, work or any other pursuit.
“When people are forced to choose between purchasing period products or meeting other basic needs, they are placed in a position of systemic disadvantage.”
TAFE SA says the initiative recognises that period products are not luxury items but essentials and follows a nationwide survey which found 64% of respondents across Australia have struggled to afford menstrual hygiene products.
The Bloody Big Survey 2024, conducted by Share the Dignity, gathered responses from more than 150,000 people across the country and found nearly 70 per cent of TAFE and university students in South Australia have struggled to afford period products in the past year.
“It is important that we do whatever we can to address barriers to learning, and it’s concerning that so many TAFE and university students struggle to afford these essential items,” said Minister for Education, Training and Skills, Blair Boyer.
“This initiative will help address cost of living issues, strengthen an inclusive culture and ultimately support access to high-quality education and training.
“With TAFE as the public provider of vocational education and training, it’s important that all members of our community can access classes and have a positive education experience.
“That’s why we are funding period products in TAFE campuses – so that their cost never results in missed classes, time away from campus or disadvantage in any aspect of learning or life,” he said.
The installation of the dispensers is set to occur in three phases. The Adelaide City campus, TAFE SA’s largest campus, will be the first to see the products available, with other campuses to roll out progressively.
