Did you know that around 15 per cent of menstruating Victorians have experienced difficulty acquiring period products due to challenges like poverty, homelessness, domestic violence and inflation? Access to period care is a right, not a privilege – and to address this, Melbourne council has committed to providing free period products at council-owned facilities across the city since September 2021.
The program was initially only intended to run for a 12-month period (ha!), but Melbourne council has announced that it will extend the program for an additional six months to conclude on June 30, 2023. Free products are available in vending machines at the following locations:
- Library at the Dock
- City Library
- Carlton Baths
- Melbourne Town Hall public toilets (on Collins Street)
- North Melbourne Community Centre
- Kathleen Syme Community Centre
"Periods are a part of life, [and] it's time to remove the stigma and shame that surrounds menstruation," says lord mayor Sally Capp. "We're doing what we can to make managing periods easier and more accessible for all Melburnian girls, women and people who menstruate."