Singer Mel B and author Giovanna Fletcher are among the celebrities standing up for women and demanding sanitary products be made available free of charge.
They have joined Frankie Bridge, Claire Sweeney, Charlie Webster and Georgia Taylor to show support for The Sunday Mirror’s End Period Poverty Now campaign.
We are calling for England and Wales to be brought in line with Scotland by making sanitary products free to those who need them.
Shocking figures from humanitarian charity Plan International UK show that one in four young women aged 14 to 21 struggle to afford period products – and many teens skip sport and dance classes at school as a result.
MPs have also shared stories of care workers being forced to walk out of their shifts as no free period products have been available to them.
Former Spice Girl Mel B said: “This is about women’s rights – it’s about our dignity, independence and freedom.
“We need to stand up, to raise this issue, to not feel shame, fear or embarrassment about being a woman, and to make a change.”
As part of our End Period Poverty Now campaign, we are calling for:
- All state schools, colleges and educational organisations for girls aged 16 to 18 to offer a range of free period products.
- The Government to have the power to make other publicly funded bodies – such as hospitals, art galleries, museums, community centres, police stations and libraries – provide period products for free in their toilets.
- A mobile app allowing users to identify locations across England and Wales where period products are available for free.
- The period product scheme launched by the Government earlier this year expanded to include all girls under the age of 16 and all people at the point of need. Currently, it can be ordered by all state maintained schools and organisations for people aged 16 to 19.
Period products cost the average woman £4.77 per cycle – and that figure rises substantially for those who suffer from heavy periods or medical conditions such as endometriosis.
Data from Plan International UK shows a staggering 80% of young women aged 14 to 21 are being forced to use toilet paper as a substitute for sanitary pads.
The charity has even heard from desperate girls using socks as substitutes.
Mel B, who was awarded an MBE for her work as a patron of Women’s Aid, said: “It is heartbreaking to me that in this day and age, young girls and women cannot afford sanitary products, which to me is a basic human female right. I am the mother of three girls so this is a subject very close to my heart.
“I’m also someone who grew up on a council estate in Leeds, and many people I know have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
“In other countries, sanitary products are free. We need to follow suit.”
In June, a Plan International UK survey of 1,015 girls aged 14 to 21 found that in the Midlands, 53% had cut down on their food spending to afford period products, and 51% had done the same in the North.
A further 25% in the Midlands were worried about being able to afford them in the coming months, compared to 26% in the North.
In London, nearly one in four girls said they had not been able to pay for period products since the start of 2022 – higher than the national rate of one in five.
A further 23% told how they had been forced to cut back on school supplies in order to afford them.
Labour MSP Monica Lennon, whose bill to make period products free recently became law in Scotland, recalled stories from constituents working in care homes.
She told how they had been forced to walk out when their periods started as no sanitary products were available at work. Ms Lennon said: “The UK Governments have a lot of work to do when it comes to women’s health. I am proud of what Scotland has achieved, but England and Wales must follow suit.
“I know of women who have been forced to cross the border to Scotland to access free period products.” Politicians Sarah Champion, Stella Creasy and Carolyn Harris have also backed our campaign.
Ms Champion, the Labour MP for Rotherham, asked former health minister Nadine Dorries what would be done to tackle period poverty in the House of Commons last year – but was told no assessment had been made on the “potential merits” of policies to tackle it.
This month, she put the same question to Health Secretary Therese Coffey but has yet to receive a response.
Ms Champion said: “With the cost of living spiralling out of control, it is vital that everyone has the means and the facilities to acquire essential sanitary products. I fully support the Sunday Mirror’s campaign to make this a reality.”
Labour MP for Walthamstow Ms Creasy said: “Women and girls in England and Wales should not have to suffer the indignity of period poverty – finding that you cannot access the tampons or towels you need to manage menstruation.
“Providing these items, as we do toilet paper and washing facilities in public loos, is part of treating every citizen with dignity. The Scottish laws have led the way, and it’s time for England and Wales to follow.”
Last month, Scotland became the first country in the world to make sanitary products available free of charge to all women and girls.
Under the new Period Products Act, it is now a legal duty for local authorities to provide items such as tampons and sanitary pads free to “anyone who needs them”.
Plan International UK’s CEO Rose Caldwell said: “It is devastating that so many young people in the UK are not able to afford the period products they need. We must commit to ensuring that everyone who needs them gets easy free access to products, receives timely education on periods and feels able to talk about the issues they are facing without any fear of shame or stigma.”
What the stars say
Singer Frankie Bridge said: “The fact that young girls still don’t have access to sanitary products in this day and age is unthinkable. It really has to change.
“That is why I am supporting the Sunday Mirror’s End Period Poverty Now campaign.
“We are currently facing a cost-of-living crisis in the UK, which means more women and girls are being forced to make decisions they shouldn’t have to make.”
Reality star Vicky Pattison said: “I support the Sunday Mirror End Period Poverty Now campaign because no girl or woman should have to compromise when it comes to their health and wellbeing.
“It’s sad to hear so many are having their lives disrupted because of the cost of living crisis.
“ Liz Truss needs to take a look at the incredible example Scotland has set by making period products free for everyone.”
Former Brookside star Claire Sweeney said: “I think it’s so important for period products to be freely available to all females.
“I remember I was 11 when I started my periods. I was very embarrassed and scared and there were no products freely available.
“I used toilet paper the whole weekend and didn’t tell anyone.
“It’s vital products are available in schools, community centres, restaurants… most places, really.”
Author and TV personality Giovanna Fletcher said: “This is a very real issue that can cause women and girls unnecessary embarrassment and distress.
“With the cost of living increasing the way it is, the problem is only going to get worse and affect more people.
“I think it’s great that the Sunday Mirror is using its platform to help support those who need it the most.”
TV presenter Charlie Webster said: “The fact we are still having to campaign to get the absolute basic necessities for young girls and women – period products – speaks volumes.
“I’m backing the Sunday Mirror’s End Period Poverty Now campaign because as a girl, it would have made such a difference to me.
“When I started my periods, my mum had to share her products with me because of the cost.”
Georgia Taylor, who plays Toyah Habeeb in Coronation Street, said: “Nobody should have to suffer the humiliation of not having adequate sanitary protection during their period. I wholeheartedly support this campaign.”
