Today (Wednesday 7 June) the ACT will become the first jurisdiction in Australia to pass legislation requiring the ACT Government to provide period products free of charge at designated points.

The Period Products and Facilities (Access) Bill, introduced by Suzanne Orr MLA, is guaranteed to pass with support from ACT Labor and the ACT Greens.

Ms Orr told CW that while she hopes for tri-partisan support, she nonetheless looks forward to menstruation products being “more accessible than they have ever been within the ACT”.

“I would encourage all other states and territories to be inspired by my bill so that no one who menstruates is ever in need,” says Ms Orr.

“Periods are a normal bodily function, yet they are still heavily stigmatised in society.

“It shouldn’t be this way, no one should be ostracised because they do not have access to the products, facilities, and understanding they need to respond to a normal bodily function.”

The bill requires that the ACT government facilitates a range of “designated accessible points.” While the exact locations are up to the government’s discretion, Ms Orr has illustrated that access to period products be required in public schools and hospitals.

She notes that while ACT public schools have period products available to students in need, the bill is focused on “formalising the program and making sure products are accessible as possible”.

“We will also be seeing period products in our higher education institutions,” she said.

The rollout is expected to occur over the next six to 12 months.

Ms Orr’s suggestions provided to the ACT government regarding access points include public libraries and public bathrooms. Community organisations can also apply to access these products and provide them through their services or workplaces.

“A particular focus of the bill has been to make sure that period products are provided in a dignified way … in places for everyone,” she said.

“Vending machines are another way we can expect them to be distributed in public locations.” This was inspired by Share the Dignity, which was consulted throughout drafting the Bill.

Share the Dignity’s bright pink ‘Dignity vending machines’ distribute free packs of two pads and six tampons in social service centres across the ACT, as well as several locations at the ANU.

“In the conversations we have had with Share the Dignity, they are hoping that once this bill is passed, the organisations they currently support will be able to access them through the ACT government,” said a spokesperson for Ms Orr.

“Share the Dignity can then reallocate their resources to other areas of need around Australia.”

Founder and Managing Director of Share the Dignity, Rochelle Courtenay, echoed this statement, saying that the Dignity Vending Machines will stay in the ACT until the rollout is complete.

Ms Courtenay said that after eight long years of striving to end period poverty in Australia, “today feels like Christmas Eve”.

“We have worked so hard for something like this to happen. I don’t know if I’ll sleep tonight,” she smiled.

According to Ms Courtenay, the main obstacle encountered when advocating for menstrual equity in Australia is that menstrual equity was never measured until their ‘Bloody Big Survey,’ which is now the largest body of data on menstruation in the world.

“It made people wake up and notice that 24 per cent of Australians have lived through period poverty,” said Ms Courtenay. Fifteen per cent of respondents in the ACT have also been unable to afford period products at some point in their life.

“Data is the language spoken by changemakers and politicians … It’s monumental that we are now seen and heard.

“No one should have to make do with toilet paper, socks, or newspaper for their period and this legislation will ensure women, girls and those who menstruate won’t have to.”

An exposure draft bill was released in December 2021, followed by the bill being introduced to the ACT Legislative Assembly in August 2022.

“I hope to see more states and territories follow in the ACT’s footsteps so we can ensure menstrual equity for all menstruating Australians,” Ms Courtenay said.

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