Plan International Statement regarding World Menstrual Hygiene Day

On World Menstrual Hygiene Day, Plan International Australia issued a press release with the title ‘It’s About Bloody Time: Tampons and pads should be free in Australian schools so no girls miss out’. 

The wording of the press release title and the angle of the release echoes closely the work of the Victorian Women’s Trust, who have been working on this issue for the past three years and are about to launch their book About Bloody Time: The Menstrual Revolution We Have to Have. The VWT has also been campaigning by the same title since February to make menstrual hygiene products free in schools.

Plan International Australia regrets that in using the VWT’s book and campaign title, we may have caused confusion in the media and public’s mind as to both our organisations’ commitment and campaigning on period stigma.

We strongly support the excellent work that the Victorian Women’s Trust is doing in this space; and we appreciate there will be future opportunities to work collaboratively with the VWT. We have determined to take up the Business Supporter option in the VWT’s Pozible campaign as an expression of collegiality and demonstration of our common purpose in smashing period stigma.