But I Didn’t Know… she didn’t need to miss school for something she can’t control
Some students quietly disappear from class, sport, or excursions, not because they’re sick or unprepared, but because they don’t have pads or tampons.
No one says it out loud. The absence is explained away, the real reason never spoken, and the opportunity is missed.
It might only be one PE lesson, one test, or one team try-out, but over the course of a school year, those missed moments add up. They chip away at a student’s confidence, their connection with friends, and their full participation in school life.
For too long, period poverty, the lack of access to affordable, appropriate menstrual products, has quietly pulled students out of opportunities they deserve. And for those who have never had to think about it, it can be shocking to learn just how common it is.
The hidden barrier to education
Menstruation is a fact of life for roughly half the population, yet for many young people, the experience is wrapped in stigma, silence, and sometimes, scarcity.
Period poverty happens when someone cannot afford or access the products they need to manage their period safely and with dignity. It’s not just about cost, although that is a significant factor, it can also be about distance, privacy, or simply being caught unprepared.
In a school environment, this lack of access can translate into:
Missing classes, sport, or excursions
Avoiding participation in certain activities
Feelings of shame, embarrassment, or isolation
Anxiety about leaking or being teased
Some students learn to mask it, planning sick days around their cycle. Others try to stretch out use of a single pad or tampon far beyond what’s safe. And sometimes, the choice is stark, buy food or buy period products.
ACT leading the way
In 2023, the ACT became the first jurisdiction in Australia to pass legislation guaranteeing free access to period products in public schools. The Period Products and Facilities (Access) Act requires schools to provide products in a way that upholds students’ dignity and privacy.
This year, that commitment has expanded into a bold pilot program installing free period product dispensers in more than 30 ACT public schools. The rollout is backed by an awareness campaign designed to bust myths, reduce stigma, and make sure every student knows where and how to access what they need.
For primary schools, pads are provided. In high schools, P–10 schools, and colleges, both pads and tampons are available. Products are located in girls’, gender-neutral, and accessible bathrooms, as well as wellbeing spaces and even classrooms where appropriate.
The principle is simple but powerful: if students can access period products with dignity and confidence, they can focus on their learning, sport, friendships, and extracurricular activities without unnecessary obstacles.
No student should miss out
For many students, a forgotten pencil case might mean borrowing a pen. But forgetting, or not being able to afford, period products can mean missing an entire day of school.
“Students should have the opportunity to get the most out of their educational experiences and not miss out on important learning,” says Minister for Education and Early Childhood, Yvette Berry. “We never want to see students avoiding certain activities because they don’t have access to period products, whether that be because they forgot to bring them to school or can’t afford to purchase them.”
The new dispensers are about more than supplying pads and tampons, they’re about keeping students in the classroom, on the field, or at the excursion. Imagine being able to finish your netball carnival without worrying about leaks, or sit through your science exam without the gnawing anxiety of running out of supplies.
For one Year 9 student in a participating school, it’s the difference between quietly asking the front office for help and having what she needs, right there in the bathroom, without anyone noticing. For another, it’s knowing she won’t have to fold layers of toilet paper into her underwear just to make it through the last two periods of the day.
Small changes in access create big changes in participation and that’s exactly what this rollout is designed to do.
Why this matters
It’s easy to underestimate the ripple effect of a single missed day, but in the context of school life, those missed moments matter. They can mean losing a chance to try out for a team, present a project, or even just feel part of a group.
The presence of free period product dispensers in bathrooms changes the story in several ways:
Normalisation – Students see period products as everyday items, not hidden or shameful.
Dignity – No need to ask at the front office or explain why you’re leaving class.
Privacy – Products are accessible without having to involve peers or staff.
Equity – Removes a barrier that disproportionately impacts people from low-income households.
And for younger students, it’s a lesson in itself: menstruation is normal, periods are nothing to hide, and managing them should never limit participation.
Beyond the classroom
The pilot program doesn’t stop at school gates. Dispensers are also being installed at Canberra Hospital, University of Canberra Hospital, community health centres, and walk-in centres. All Canberra Health Services locations are expected to be fully stocked by the end of August, extending dignity and access to anyone who needs it.
This expansion means that whether you’re a student, a patient, a visitor, or simply out in the community, there’s likely to be a location nearby where you can access pads or tampons when you need them most.
Where to get free period products
Specifically the ACT Government provides free pads and tampons at:
ACT Courts – in or outside 3 bathrooms
ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) – unisex bathroom, ground floor
ACT Housing (Belconnen) – unisex bathroom, ground floor
All ACT Libraries
Canberra Health Services – Canberra Hospital, University of Canberra Hospital, Community Health Centres, and Walk-in Centres
Child and Family Centres – West Belconnen, Gungahlin, and Tuggeranong (women’s and unisex bathrooms)
Child Development Service – women’s and unisex bathrooms
Public Schools – pads in primary schools; pads and tampons in high schools and colleges
But this isn’t just a government-led initiative, it’s an invitation for the whole community to take part in dismantling period poverty.
If you’re part of a community organisation and want to provide free products, you can nominate to join the network of providers here: Nominate to provide free period products.
By doing so, you become another access point for someone who might otherwise go without. It’s a simple step with a profound impact.
Breaking the stigma, one dispenser at a time
Ending period poverty isn’t just about the products, it’s about what their availability represents.
When students see pads and tampons in plain sight, they also see a message:
Your health matters.
Your dignity matters.
You belong here, fully and without shame.
For many, that’s as life-changing as the products themselves.
The takeaway
The next time you hear of a student missing school or skipping sport, consider that it might not be because they’re sick, unprepared, or uninterested. It might be because of something they can’t control and until now, something we rarely talked about.
With the ACT’s national-first program, that silence is breaking. Students can stay in the classroom, on the field, or at the excursion, knowing that what they need is just a few steps away.
Because no one should have to miss out on the moments that shape their education, their friendships, and their future, especially not for something that’s completely natural.
But I didn’t know… she didn’t need to miss school for something she can’t control. Now I do. And now you do too.
Where to find free period products: act.gov.au/community/women/free-period-products
Nominate your organisation to provide free products: Nomination form
