Commuters across Victoria can now access free period pads and tampons at 55 train stations as the state broadens its public sanitary product program.
The next stage of the initiative aims to help the one in five women and girls who report they can’t afford essential period products each month. The move comes as the Salvation Army revealed that one in 10 Australians are worried about having enough money to feed their children this year.
“We’re giving women one less thing to worry about,” Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said in a statement. “Our free vending machines are coming to even more locations across the state. Pads and tampons aren’t a luxury, they’re essential.”
Since launching in November last year, the program has provided more than 90,000 packs of pads and tampons in public spaces such as museums, stadiums and libraries. Authorities have invested $23 million into the initiative and, with train stations among the busiest public hubs in Victoria, extending the program there ensures wider access.
“Period products are essentials, so making them freely available in our busiest public spaces sends a clear message that location and financial situations are no longer a barrier,” Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins told Yahoo News Australia. “Whether you’re heading to work, school or home, no one should have their day disrupted because they can’t access a pad or tampon – our machines make sure help is there when it’s needed.”
Victoria leads the nation in free sanitary access, following the Federal Government’s 2020 announcement that all public school students would have access to period products. Other states offer more limited access.
New South Wales provides free sanitary products in public primary schools and to patients in health facilities who can’t afford them. Western Australia offers them to students at public primary and secondary schools as well as TAFE colleges, while the ACT provides free items across schools, libraries, health centres, and courts.
A map of free sanitary products across Victoria. Source: Better Health Vic
Internationally, some countries are going further. Scotland became the first country to make period products legally free for everyone, cementing access as a basic legal right.
Victoria’s expanded vending machine rollout demonstrates a commitment to equity, ensuring period products are available whenever and wherever they are needed.
A version of this article originally appeared on Yahoo News Australia.
