Menstruation Matters Report

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (16:35): I move:

That this council notes the report by the Commissioner for Children and Young People, entitled Menstruation Matters—The impact of menstruation on wellbeing, participation and school attendance’, laid on the table of this council on 18 March 2021.

I rise today to speak on the Commissioner for Children and Young People's report, Menstruation Matters. Previous to this report, the commissioner released her report titled, Leave No One Behind, in 2019. This report established that period poverty was a problem impacting everyday tasks and events for children and young people. The 2019 Leave No One Behind report found the following:

26 per cent of students surveyed reported missing out on attending school due to not having period products;

51 per cent of students surveyed said they did not have access to products or they did not know how to access period products at school;

20 per cent of schoolteachers (all female) were purchasing products for students with their own money.

It is obvious from these initial findings that period poverty is real, extensive and required the attention of government. Since the release of the 2019 report, the commissioner has continued to research into the impact of menstruation with this report. Specifically, this report, Menstruation Matters, looks at the impact menstruation has on the wellbeing, participation and school attendance of children and young people.

The report lays bare the brazen realities of period poverty that children and young people in our state are facing. This report unveils how period poverty stems further than just the need for period products but the importance of biological explanations of menstruation as well as the need for advice about the practical, social and cultural aspects of periods.

Given this, the impacts of menstrual hygiene are wideranging and impact on all parts of life. Therefore, addressing period poverty requires a multifaceted approach, with the onus on all sectors across the state, including education, business, health and community. The community, and particularly this parliament, needs to recognise the failings in our response to menstrual awareness, menstrual education and menstrual management for South Australian children and young people.

As we have witnessed in this chamber, the taboo topic of menstruation can be uncomfortable. This report recites the need for these social attitudes to change so that we can best address menstruation needs. This report highlights that emphasis must be put on menstrual wellbeing to properly tackle the issue of period poverty. Research in the report suggests that, whilst product supply and infrastructure responses are part of the solution, the complex socio-economic nature of managing menstruation across an individual's life course requires a suite of reinforcing policies.

The survey results also support this notion. A total of 2,985 children and young people aged between seven to 22 years provided 3,267 responses to two period surveys. The survey revealed several key insights:

one in four children and young people reported experiencing problems getting period products when they needed them. These problems arose because of the cost of the product, the lack of knowledge about what product is suitable, shame associated with buying products or a reliance on others for support;

barriers to accessing products were found to affect students' ability to participate in school work, sport and other physical activities. This was brought about by a lack of information, confidence and supportive adults, limited access to pain relief, and environments with inadequate sanitation facilities;

a lack of adequate bathroom and disposal facilities added to the inability of menstrual wellbeing;

stigma existing at an individual community and systems level sometimes prevents open discussion about normalisation of menstruation;

young people want to be equipped with more than an understanding of the biological cycle. They want to know about the practical management of periods;

all young people and children believe that everyone regardless of gender identity should receive comprehensive menstruation education, ultimately breaking down the barrier of menstruation being a woman's issue to promoting empathy, respect and gender equality;

young people wanted formal menstruation education to begin at a younger age and remain consistent and age-appropriate across all year levels so they feel prepared, comfortable and confined no matter what age they are when they get their first period; and

primary schools should consistently teach students about periods and provide adequate toilets, soap and bins for students to manage their period safely and with dignity.

In response, the commissioner made four recommendations for South Australia to adopt. They being:

1. The need to develop a menstrual hygiene policy as a core pillar of the 'Health in All Policies' framework in relation to all services to adults, young people and children.

2. Review menstruation education to ensure all children across primary and high schools receive education beyond the biological cycle.

3. Formally recognise the barriers of menstruation to school attendance and develop best practice resources to support schools to use review and change where required procedures in relation to bathroom access, sanitary bin supply and uniform policy.

4. Provide free period products to everyone who needs them at schools and designated public places, such as community centres, youth facilities, libraries and chemists.

There is myriad ways that these recommendations can be implemented. Previous attempts by the Hon. Connie Bonaros and myself through the Free Menstrual Hygiene Products Pilot Program Bill 2020 have not been supported by the government. We understand that the government has undertaken their own pilot program and is currently rolling out a program to state schools. We will have the result of this study at the end of term 3.

This report shows us that providing free period products is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to addressing menstrual wellbeing and period property. I hope this report does not again sit on the table of the education minister and other relevant ministers and get ignored. We must act now on these recommendations to ensure children and young people have the best possible outcomes in life.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (16:43): I, too, rise to speak on the Commissioner for Children and Young People's report, entitled 'Menstruation Matters—The impact of menstruation on wellbeing, participation and school attendance', which was laid on the table on 18 March 2021, and to echo the sentiments expressed by my colleague the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos. As has been mentioned, the report follows on from the commissioner's 2019 report, Leave No One Behind, which identified the many issues children in South Australia are battling within their everyday lives. Unfortunately, period poverty continues to be one of them.

Menstruation Matters reports on the experience of more than 3,000 survey responses from South Australian young people aged between seven and 22, and respondents were asked a series of questions concerning school education programs and period product accessibility. They were asked to comment on the impact that menstruation has had on their participation in school, sport and more generally on their lives.

I, like the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos, have spoken extensively in this place about the very real need for free access to period products for all South Australian schoolgirls. Last year, Victoria became the first Australian state to make a real commitment to eliminating menstruation barriers to the tune of some $20 million. Daniel Andrews openly acknowledged that period products are essential items in schools, just as are toilet paper and soap. Other jurisdictions have, fortunately, followed suit. In South Australia we have started small—very small.

Following a mammoth effort in this place, and with the support of the commissioner, finally a trial was undertaken in select schools last year. The equivalent of $3 per student that has been pledged to date is hardly enough to knock period poverty on the head, but at least it is a start. We have given the minister the benefit of the doubt; we have agreed to allow him to undertake the trial, which is initiated, that will see funds provided to all South Australian schools to deal with period poverty.

We are looking forward to the review that will take place in term three. I hope to be pleasantly surprised when these baby steps—as that is precisely what they are—are reviewed at that stage. I hope the minister is committed to taking on board all the considerations we have discussed with him personally and all the issues we have raised in this place, but more importantly all the issues that the commissioner has raised with him so far in the two reports she has prepared.

As Menstruation Matters clearly shows, this is an extraordinarily complex issue, and it goes a lot further than period poverty. I encourage everyone in this place to enlighten themselves by reading the report and to listen to the voices of those with current lived experiences. Just last Friday, I, along with the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos, had the pleasure of meeting with the co-founders of Taboo—Eloise Hall and Young South Australian of the Year Isobel Marshall—to hear about their advocacy on this very important issue. I was delighted when they added their signatures to our petition to the House of Assembly for an inquiry into period poverty and joined our cause seeking an inquiry into students' access to menstrual hygiene products in our schools.

It is important to remember that guaranteed access to menstrual hygiene products in our schools would remove many of the obstacles to girls' participation in school and help reduce the stigma of periods generally. We are looking forward to reaching the 10,000 signatures, with the invaluable assistance of these two remarkable young women and their ambassadors, because I think there is still a lot for this parliament to learn about the issues on which Commissioner Connolly has tried to educate us.

The findings of the report before us are further evidence that an inquiry is absolutely required. This issue is not limited to the cost of period products. As one respondent pointed out, 'There's been points in my life where I couldn't afford period products, and I don't believe anyone should have to feel unclean, uncomfortable and ashamed to ask for help. It should be something that vulnerable people can access for free.'

One in four of the survey's respondents reported problems accessing period products when required for a number of reasons. It is not always cost related; some girls just get caught out—they are embarrassed, they do not want to announce they are menstruating to their teachers or to their peers, and 67 per cent of respondents reported being uncomfortable talking to a teacher at school about periods. As another respondent said, 'You have to go to the front office and talk to an older lady and ask for a period product. She then scolds you and says, "You should have some with you."'

The report tells us in black and white that comprehensive menstrual education in our schools is, sadly, very lacking. It is inadequate, it is inconsistent and it is not provided at all year levels. Students are looking for guidance on how to manage their periods with the various product options in the market. As another participant said:

Products such as tampons and moon cups weren't discussed. Sense of shame and secrecy was implied, made to seem like an inconvenience and dirty thing at school. Also the demo pads they use look like nappies and weren't in line with current products. Lucky I had a good education through my family.

They wish there were more conversations around pain relief options as well. They told how their symptoms are often dismissed and they are just expected to soldier on.

The report also touches on the importance of teaching what a normal period should look like, what is not normal and when to see a doctor. One participant stated:

Education should really go more in depth about what is a normal and abnormal period cycle and how much pain is too much. This will really help young girls recognise when they might have a period related condition such as endometriosis for example, and get that investigated sooner [rather] than later.

We know schools have a very important role to play in educating all sexes on menstruation, as do parents and caregivers, but we also need to recognise that conversations at home come in varying degrees, making comprehensive education at school absolutely vital. One respondent said:

I didn't tell my parents for a year. In my culture it's like a taboo.

Another said:

Not allowed to go near the space where we pray. Not allowed to touch things before taking a shower. Not allowed to move a lot.

Many survey participants highlighted the impact of menstruation on school attendance, with one saying:

Many girls skip days on school due to having their periods because it is too difficult to deal with at school, and you don't feel as comfortable, than in your own home.

Another said:

I don't go to school when I'm on it, as I don't know how to sneak stuff into the bathroom. I take the pill to try to get my period in the holidays.

Not being allowed to leave the classroom at certain times, even when forced to announce that they have their period in front of the class to explain a request to go to the bathroom, is a real issue in our schools. Students reported locked bathrooms during lesson times, causing long bathroom lines during recess and lunch breaks. They are clearly frustrated with the lack of understanding. One respondent wrote:

So many times I have needed to go to the bathroom during class to change a pad or tampon or just to check that I haven't leaked all over my uniform. Lots of teachers, especially the male ones, will insist that I simply should have gone during recess or lunch time. This is highly impractical because you cannot put your period on a schedule.

Another said:

In high school (and even primary school), a lot of teachers wouldn't allow students to go to the bathroom during class—especially classes that were straight after break times. This made for a very uncomfortable situation: do I sit here and bleed through my underwear/clothing and potentially leave a mark on the seat I'm on? Or do I tell my teacher the issue, even though it makes me uncomfortable to share such personal information?

And this:

We have strict toilet policies in our school. Only 1 girl at a time can go during class time from the whole school (mine is about 900-1000 students) which makes queue times ridiculous. And you can't take your bag with you to the toilet during class time.

The report was filled with these sorts of examples. There were complaints about overflowing sanitary bins. Again, just as during previous contributions on this, when I referred to toilet paper: imagine if there was a bin overflowing with used toilet paper. Would it be reasonably acceptable? I think we all know the answer is absolutely not.

The report highlights issues even I had not turned my mind to, such as a suggestion for full-length mirrors to be strategically placed in school bathrooms, to enable students to check the back of their uniform for leakage. Being forced to wear light coloured uniforms appears to be a very common theme of anxiety for many students. One wished she could wear her PE uniform instead of a dress, saying it would help alleviate those anxieties of bleeding through. Another respondent suggested having spare clothing available in all sizes so it is not embarrassing, that after bleeding through clothes 'we don't stand out so much for being in a ridiculously oversized uniform', adding to the humiliation because everyone knows.

The report also points to the media as having an important role to play in breaking down the stigma of menstruation. Again, as a respondent pointed out:

The media does not show what a period is really like, especially in younger females. We do not sit in a meadow of daisies, wear white clothing or pretend that life is all sunshine and rainbows. We can be very moody, in a lot of pain and sometimes over life.

So what is next? As another participant said, 'I hope this actually amounts to something.' I, too, hope this report amounts to something. There are many things that need to be done that can be done. Access to period products for all who need them in our schools is an obvious one. It is an obvious first step, as is a review of menstruation education and the development of a menstruation hygiene wellbeing policy.

The report goes further in recommending free products be made available to all who need them, as is the case in Scotland in places such as youth facilities, community centres, libraries and chemists, and that is something we have supported vehemently on this side of the chamber. I hope we can get there sooner rather than later. After all, this is an issue of gender equality, an issue you will continue to hear me and others and my colleague the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos speak out about until we get it right, until we normalise menstruation, until we normalise menstruation education and until we normalise menstruation management.

We want our girls attending school and participating in sport on an even playing field. We want our girls having all the benefits that are provided through our education system on an even playing field, because heaven only knows that there are enough other barriers that they will face in the years to come after their school years. Their periods should not be one of those barriers.

With those words, I congratulate Commissioner Helen Connolly for her advocacy in this space, I thank her for the body of work she has provided us with and I sincerely hope that not just the minister but all of us tackle this issue head on. There is no place, none whatsoever, for period poverty, for stigma, for any of the issues that Commissioner Connolly has highlighted in her report in today's world—not here, not anywhere.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.