For some girls, getting their period at school can mean having to find a sanitary pad, worrying about staining their clothes or, in some cases, missing class altogether.
To help address those challenges, Empowering Our Women Saint Lucia recently donated five fully stocked storage units to primary and secondary schools in the Gros Islet community, working alongside Social Transformation Officer Lian John.
The units contain sanitary pads, tampons, toothbrushes and other personal hygiene supplies, giving students access to products they may not have on hand or may struggle to afford.
Empowering Our Women President and Co-founder Tara Moses said limited access to menstrual products can affect girls’ comfort at school and their ability to fully participate in classes and other activities.
“The placement of menstrual drawers within schools is intended to help address some of the challenges girls may experience during menstruation, including limited access to menstrual products while at school,” Moses said.
“By making these essential supplies readily available, the initiative seeks to create a more supportive and inclusive school environment where girls can manage their menstrual health with greater confidence, without the fear of missing classes or participating in school activities due to a lack of menstrual products.”
The organisation also hopes the initiative will raise awareness of period poverty and its impact on girls and young women.
The distribution coincided with the start of the new school term and was supported by the Department of Equity and the participating schools.
By placing the supplies directly within schools, Empowering Our Women hopes students can get what they need quickly and discreetly when the need arises.
The organisation also wants menstrual health to be an important aspect of girls’ well-being and equal participation in school life.
It said it intends to continue working with community partners to improve access to menstrual products and help prevent menstruation from becoming a barrier to school attendance.
