The States currently have no plans for schools and colleges in the Bailiwick to follow other places in the British Isles and make period products universally available to students free of charge.
Jersey last week became the latest jurisdiction to announce such a scheme. The Minister for Social Security told the island's States that "free period products will be available in all schools in Jersey from September 2022".
The Northern Ireland Assembly recently approved a private member's bill which will create a legal right of free access to items such as tampons and sanitary pads in all schools, colleges and public buildings.
Scotland last year became the first place in the British Isles to introduce a law which includes a requirement on schools and colleges to make period products universally available to students free of charge. In England, the Government is operating a scheme during this school year which "provides free period products to learners who need them in their place of study".
In Guernsey, charitable donations have allowed a limited number of period products to be provided to some students. But the States have provided no direction or funding for schools to make period products freely available. And they told Express they have no plans to change that in the foreseeable future.
The Committees for Education, Sport & Culture and Employment & Social Security told Express that "no formal discussions have taken place at Committee level" about introducing a publicly-funded universal scheme.
They added that "individual members have discussed the matter informally, but this was primarily focused on links with third sector organisations".
Pictured: Students in Guernsey will soon be unusual across the British Isles in not having free, universal access to period products in their schools throughout their years there.
Deputy Bob Murray, Vice-President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, and Deputy Peter Roffey, President of the Committee for Employment & Social Security, said: "SHARE [Sexual Health and Relationship Education] has worked closely with the third sector on this issue and, via a generous donation by Bright Tights, we have been able to supply students in years six and seven with re-usable pads and students in year 11 with menstrual cups".
"Schools also hold a supply of disposable products that can be provided free to students who at any time are unprepared for the arrival of their period," said Deputies Murray and Roffey.
"As part of their SHARE lessons, students are advised about the more environmentally-friendly re-usable products that are provided to students as a one-off.
"Sanitary products are also built into the 'basket of goods' from which the Income Support requirement rates are derived."
Following his Jersey counterpart's announcement last week, Deputy Roffey said that he was prepared to give the matter further consideration in the future.
Pictured: Deputies Peter Roffey (left) and Bob Murray declined to provide any commitment to make period products universally available free of charge to students in Bailiwick schools, which is increasingly happening in other parts of the British Isles, including in Jersey later this year.
In 2017, Plan International, a non-profit organisation which works to advance equality for girls, found that in the UK:
Announcing Jersey's new universal, publicly-funded scheme, their Minister for Social Security, Judy Martin, said that these findings were supported by the results of a survey conducted locally and which "highlight that there is a clear need".
"This is further demonstrated by the valuable work of volunteers from the Red Box Project Jersey, who are providing products to the majority of our schools, as well as from anecdotal reports from teachers, past and present, that they have been buying products themselves to give to students who need them," said Deputy Martin.
"I’m sure members will agree that our children and young people should not miss out on their education, nor feel shame or stigma, because of something that is a natural and normal part of life for half of our population.
"Products will be available for all learners in schools who need them whether that’s because they have forgotten their products, cannot afford products, or have come on their period unexpectedly.
"This commitment is a positive step in removing barriers to healthy, active, educational outcomes for our children and part of our commitment to putting children first."
Pupils to receive year's supply of menstrual health products
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