A teenage pupil has opened up saying that girls are being "stripped of their dignity" after being forced to request sanitary products from the school' s reception.
Zara Stuart, 14, a student at Woodfarm High in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, has told how she and other young females were left feeling upset and embarrassed for not being able to easily access the items.
She said they feel ashamed for having to walk a lengthy amount of time back and forth - while bleeding - to request products from the school office, report Daily Record.
She went on to say that she was left mortified after her period arrived early during a lesson, and became panicked that blood would show on her uniform, before she could access an open toilet that supplied pads.
She said: "My heart sank when it happened because I didn't have any pads and I had this horrible feeling where I knew there would be no way I could make it downstairs to the office to ask for padding and back up again to the toilet without bleeding through.
"I was panicking that it had already bled through my skirt. I was on the top floor when it happened and it was a long walk to the office to get sanitary products."
The 14-year-old took to share pictures of the lavatories at the school, completely bare of any menstrual supplies after she said they were removed.
This comes after the set of toilets that once supplied the mensural goods were shut off for good by staff, after an incident involved vandalism in the boys' loo. Since this ordeal, the teen said it became quite difficult to access pads or tampons.
She added: "There was an incident in the boys' toilets which resulted in vandalism damages. Instead of trying to find out who had done it, they decided to lock the girls' and boys' toilets during classes, except for them being open during breaks and lunches.
"That maybe leaves one disabled toilet on the bottom floor and one gender-neutral toilet and a disabled toilet per floor. There hasn't been a sanitary product in sight in any of them.
"We are being stripped of our dignity and it leaves us feeling like they don't care."
Zara said she was so desperate to have the toilets re-opened that she launched a campaign. So far, it has received 312 signatures.
She added: "I felt that running this petition was the only way to get them to listen to us. I know other girls are embarrassed - my friends have been in a similar situation and it's mortifying.
"Even having to ask office staff for sanitary products is bad. I don't feel like I should have to say when I am on my period or not.
"I don't feel comfortable going up and asking for pads, especially if there are boys in the corridor or people walking past. It's just an awful situation to be in."
Zara's mum Laura Docherty, 49, has supported her teenage daughter all the way. She added: “I am supporting Zara because I stand with her and I do not believe young women should be asking school staff for sanitary products in this day in age.
“They need to consider a better system for sanitary products.
“I send my kids to school to be educated and to be nurtured and I do not feel that is happening.”
Zara's campaign comes just one month after the provision for free sanitary products in Scotland became law. The Period Products Act says obtaining the free period products should be neither "complex nor bureaucratic".
Under the law, items should be freely accessible from council or educational institutions - without people having to ask for them.
The legislation was proposed by Labour MSP Monica Lennon after it was unanimously backed in the Scottish Parliament in 2020.
Commenting on the matter, Monica Lennon said: "Limiting access to school toilets puts the health, wellbeing and dignity of children and young people at risk. All schools should have a good understanding of pupils’ health needs, including those who are menstruating or have bowel or bladder conditions.
“Having to ask for period products at the main office is not what you would expect to happen in a school that respects the rights of children and young people. Much work has been done to tackle the stigma around periods, but we know that girls can still feel embarrassed.
"I commend Zara for starting this petition and I would urge Woodfarm High to reconsider its position."
A spokesperson for East Renfrewshire Council said: "Pupils have access to sanitary products throughout the school day from a wide range of locations, including in the central street area, as has always been the case. The toilets in the street area are available for all pupils to use.
"A temporary system was introduced in an attempt to maximise teaching time in classes and minimise the opportunity for inappropriate behaviour, this has not impacted pupils’ ability to easily access sanitary products. Following recent consultation with pupils, work is also under way to introduce additional supplies of sanitary products in more toilets across the school.”
Woodfarm High school declined to comment when approached by the Mirror.
You can sign Zara's petition by clicking here.
