Rotterdam tackles period poverty by giving free hygiene products to girls

The municipality of Rotterdam will provide feminine hygiene products to girls from low-income families, broadcaster NOS reported. They will be able to purchase the products in Hema using a Rotterdampas starting from Thursday.

The Rotterdampas is a system aimed at providing 500 euros to children between the ages of 12 and 17 from resident families with the lowest incomes.

Some 17,000 children have been able to access the Rotterdampas, which is also used to buy sportswear and school supplies. The support system has now been extended to include products like tampons, pads and liners.

Previous research showed that about one in ten Dutch females between the age of 12 and 25 have had troubles buying menstrual products due to lack of financial means. Moreover, about two percent said they have sometimes reused a tampon or sanitary towel.

The motion was proposed by the Rotterdam branch of PVdA who tried to combat ‘period poverty’, considered a global issue, with access to the safe, hygienic menstrual products.