Oxfordshire plans for free period products gets green light

Labour councillor Rebecca Biegel, of the Banbury Grimsbury and Hightown ward, put forward a motion calling for freely available products at a Cherwell District Council meeting on Monday evening.

This was seconded by councillor Sean Woodcock, of the same party.

Ms Biegel said: "Can you imagine having to choose either to buy sanitary products for yourself, your partner, your daughter, or another female family member or to feed your family or put the heating on?

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"It is unbearable for the individuals and unacceptable in our society that a lack of sanitary products can prevent women and girls experiencing such period poverty from comfortably leaving their home for several days every month."

The councillor made reference to the "cost of living crisis" and cited a poll from charity ActionAid suggesting "the percentage of those affected by period poverty has risen from 12 per cent to 21 cent in just one year".

The motion was proposed by councillor Rebecca Biegel. (Image: NQ)

Mr Woodcock said: "It's rather unfortunate to be adding another male voice to this discussion but councillor Biegel and I agreed it was important to have men stood behind it as well.

"To have essential items for half of our population that potentially are out of reach is not something we should accept or tolerate if we can help it."

Meeting chairman, councillor Les Sibley, declared that the motion had passed unanimously following a few contributing remarks from other councillors.

Deputy leader of the Conservative group Donna Ford, said: "Hopefully we can look at this in conjunction with what's being done with the county council so that we're not doubling things up.

"The reusables are included in the scheme for schools and I would hope that when we look at this we can look at that side as well which is obviously much better for the environment than using single-use products."

The motion was brought forward to Cherwell District Council. (Image: Cherwell District Council.)

Liberal Democrat councillor, Nick Cotter, said: "For a long time women's health has been very much second-rate in this country and it hasn't been treated properly in the way it should be.

"I think this motion is long overdue and I really do expect this council, when it's adopted, to provide these products in as many facilities as possible."

Oxford City Council decided in July 2022 that it would provide free period products in the city's public buildings and toilets after a motion was passed by Green Party councillors Rosie Rawle and Lucy Pegg.

Charities across the UK such as 'Period Poverty' and the 'Hey Girls' initiative currently provide free period products to those in need.

The NHS does not provide free sanitary products universally to those in the UK but it resolved in 2019 to offer free tampons to NHS patients in England.