Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

One in five Australians have been unable to afford period products at some point in their life. Period poverty shouldn't exist in wealthy country like ours. But where it does, not-for-profit organisation Share the Dignity is making a real on-the-ground difference to the lives of women, girls and those who menstruate, particularly those who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and domestic violence.

Since Share the Dignity was founded in 2015, they've collected and distributed over four million period products to those who've needed them. Share the Dignity's Bloody Big Survey is Australia's largest survey on attitudes and experiences of periods. Data collection has just started for the second version of this survey, and it's open until 31 May with the results available from 1 August. Share the Dignity are hoping to capture the attitudes and experiences of 20,000 Australians in this year's Bloody Big Survey, so I encourage everyone listening to do the survey and to share it with your friends so they can too.

Since 2020, every state and territory government has started a trial or introduced a policy to provide access to period products in public schools. This is good progress, but it's time that period products were provided for free in all schools and public facilities, including hospitals—not on a trial basis but permanently. Providing free pads and tampons to every Australian public primary and high school is an easy and effective way to reduce period stigma, to improve students' health and wellbeing and to minimise school absences. It's time to end the shame and stigma around menstruation. Period products are a necessity, not a luxury, and it's about bloody time we made them accessible to everyone, regardless of their income.