Campaign to provide sanitary products to school girls for free attracts 2,000 supporters
A campaign by a student at Henrietta Barnett School in Barnet to provide free sanitary products for school girls on free school meals has attracted over 2,000 petition signatures.
Amika George, the student who started the petition said:
‘I started this because I recently met some London schoolgirls who told me about the unthinkable solutions they resort to in the face of not being able to afford sanitary products. Many cannot consider the prospect of going to school.
‘As a London schoolgirl, I know this is a real problem, damaging the education and health of girls as young as 11. Worse still, because there is such a reluctance to talk about periods, we will never know just how pervasive the issue actually is.
She has enlisted the support of London Assembly Member Andrew Dismore, who was chair of the House of Commons Select Committee on Human Rights when MP for Hendon.
Mr Dismore said:
‘I strongly support Ms George’s campaign, and have written to Sarah Champion MP to seek that this becomes official Labour Party Policy. It is important that the Government take this seriously and pledge new money, rather than cut other existing education and local government budgets.’
The petition can be found at: https://www.change.org/p/theresa-may-mp-free-sanitary-products-for-girls-on-free-school-meals-freeperiods
