Surrey First Council In England To Provide Free Period Products Amid Urges For Rest Of Country To Follow Suit

Surrey has become the first council in England to provide free period products.

Teaming up with menstruation charity Binti International, who aims to eliminate stigma against periods, the county council will be providing sanitary towels free of charge in public buildings and offices in the area.

Surrey County Council are now calling for donations from the public to help roll out the scheme.

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Speaking about the collaboration, Binti International founder, Manjit K Gill, explains: "Our grassroots level conversations have taught us that deep-rooted barriers to breaking stigmas attached to periods are shared by all communities in one way or another.

"We have to be brave enough to challenge the reason behind the shame that leads to so many women and girls suffering in silence - not talking about it."

The initiative will launch in the area on 28^th May, known in the UK as Menstrual Health Day. An app, created by Binti, will show where free menstrual products are available, and where you can provide donations.

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Council leader Tim Oliver said: "We would hate to think anybody would suffer in silence for fear of shame." Katie Stewart, council diversity lead, said no girl or woman should "suffer the indignity of managing their period without period products".

Surrey is following in the footsteps of Scotland, who became the first country in the world to make all period products free for those who need it.

A recent study by Plan International found 30 per cent of girls and women in the UK struggled to afford period products, with 54 per cent of these people instead having to rely on toilet paper. One in five added they struggled with the toilet paper shortage that had occurred during panic buying in the pandemic.

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The news comes after Primark has released a range of period pants specifically for those who menstruate.

Starting at £6, the pants, which are easily washed and entirely reusable, comes with four layers of protection to keep you feeling dry and fresh throughout the day.

We're finally one step closer to banishing period poverty once and for all.

Topics: UK News, Life News, Periods, Health

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

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