Period Proud Wales Action Plan: progress update

The Period Proud Wales Action Plan was launched on 15 February 2023 via a written statement. 

Action 1: the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government commits to the expansion of free period provision in communities and the private sector

During 2025 to 2026 we will give £3.45 million to local authorities to make free period products available to:

• schools
• Further education colleges
• community organisations

We have also shared our plan with stakeholders in the private sector and trade unions.

We are working to share information more widely through webinars, newsletters and networks.

Action 2: undertake an evaluation of the period dignity grant for the period 2018 to 2022 and use the findings of the evaluation to inform a strategic, longer-term approach to the provision of period products across Wales

The evaluation report was published in October 2023. We have made progress against the following actions. 

Map out the community networks and grassroot organisations within communities to make sure the grant is reaching those areas most in need

Local authorities report twice a year on where period products are distributed in the community, including how they are reaching harder‑to‑access groups. Welsh Government reviews this information.

More flexibility in how and when money is spent

Funding allocated can only be spent during the current financial year which runs from April to March. Twice yearly monitoring meetings are held with each local authority to provide support and ensure they spend their allocated grant in the current financial year. In September 2025 extra funding was awarded to thirteen local authorities to support additional projects.

Welsh Government should look to include administration costs especially for local authorities

Since April 2023 local authorities are permitted to use up to 12.5% of the total grant on funding administrative costs. 

Improve the way the grant is monitored

Changes have been made to the grant claim monitoring form, improving the quality and consistency of data collected. Period Dignity Leads are also producing case studies to capture effective projects, and these are being shared regularly with all Period Dignity Leads.

Action 3: the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government commits to embedding period dignity in schools

For 2025 to 2026, local authorities retain the ability to spend up to 20% of the grant on training and education for learners, teachers, and community members.
 
In November 2024, we awarded a contract to produce a range of health and well-being curriculum related resources. These resources, available in summer 2026, will support learning on menstrual well-being.

Plan UK have a Period Peer Programme which aims to support young people in becoming period peers to one another, and guides organisations working with young people on becoming period proud environments.

with young people on becoming period proud environments. 

In December 2025 new learning materials were launched by the Women’s Health Network, co-designed with young people and health professionals. These aim to raise awareness and support conversations about periods (also known as menstrual health), endometriosis and wider women’s health with young people aged 11 to16.

They are designed to be used by:

• young people
• schools, school nurses and wellbeing/pastoral teams
• parents and carers

Action 4: work with our trade unions, public services, private and third sectors to create guidance and promote policies on period dignity and the menopause and to ensure educational and practical period dignity resources are available

Business Wales has promoted the new Menopause Standard, published by the British Standards Institution (BSI). Business Wales promote educational and practical period dignity resources via their online channels.

The Little Book of Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause provides an informative introduction to the British Standards Institution Menopause Standard to support organisations of all sizes to initiate discussions around menopause and menstrual health with their employees.

In February 2024, the Equality and Human Rights Commission published Menopause in the workplace: Guidance for employers. The free resources included are designed to help employers understand their legal obligations when supporting workers experiencing menopausal symptoms.

Business Wales promoted Menopause Awareness Month in October 2025 through their online channels, including signposting to Healthy Working Wales support pages to further raise awareness and provide practical resources for employers and employees.

The Employment Rights Act 2025, received Royal Assent in December and aims to strengthen employment rights, introduces a mandatory requirement for employers with 250+ staff to publish gender equality action plans addressing gender pay gaps and menopause support from 2027.

Action 5: the Welsh Government, through collaboration between the equalities and staff menopause working group review, and republish our menopause policy and working to include broader content on period dignity

In February 2024, we published HR guidance and procedures on periods and Menopause for Welsh Government staff. We will re-run internal communications upon review.

A new menopause awareness programme called ‘Menopositive’ is now available to all staff. The programme includes training on:

• having confident conversations with colleagues about menopause
• signposting colleagues to evidence based, credible, and factual information
• exploring solutions and ideas for reasonable adjustments
• how to accurately record and report menopause related sickness

Action 6: increase provision of plastic free products, products with reduced plastic content, reduced plastic packaging, packaging in general or reusable products year on year

For 2025 to 2026, we will increase the minimum requirement for the Period Dignity Grant spend on environmentally friendly period products to 80%. 

Between April 2025 and September 2026, 97% of products purchased were environmentally friendly.

We will increase the percentage spend on eco-friendly period products each year for the next 3 years. We aim to achieve a target of 90% to 100% of all period products purchased through the Period Dignity Grant being environmentally friendly by 2027.

The Welsh Government is working with UK Government departments to understand the standards for toxic‑free and environmentally friendly period products, so that future guidance and requirements are based on the best available evidence.

Action 7: extend the Wales and Africa Small Grants Scheme to actively encourage period dignity project proposals in Sub-Saharan Africa

Grant funding is available to Welsh organisations from the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and Hub Cymru Africa to support projects. 

In April 2025, Chomuzangari Women’s Cooperative Project in Zimbabwe presented to the Period Dignity Roundtable Meeting. In 2023, they were awarded funding to provide products and training to improve the health and well-being and school attendance of women and girls. This also provided employment opportunities and reduced the environmental impact of disposable pads.

In 2024, an additional £90,000 was set aside for this award focussing on contributing to gender equality including period dignity.

One of the gender equality project funded was run by Size of Wales working with women in Uganda.The Advancing Gender Equality for Climate Change Resilience Project works to equip women with the skills and resources needed to make reuseable period pads. In doing so, it is helping to increase the resilience of the community to withstand and adapt to the economic and social impacts of climate change. 

Action 8: ensure that products can be accessed, and that guidance is created with equality and inclusion as a central pillar

Regular monitoring meetings and improvements to the grant monitoring form are being used. This is to capture data and support discussions with every local authority. This ensures they are reaching priority groups in their areas.

In June 2025, Welsh Government issued community guidance to support community settings that offer free period products and support. 

Action 9: strengthen links between local authority period dignity leads, statutory unpaid carers services and third sector carers organisations to improve access to information and advice, appropriate support services and where period products can be accessed

We are working to raise awareness among carers organisations and networks of the Period Dignity Grant. We are advising how products can be accessed to designated leads in each local authority. 

In August 2025, Powys County Council used the Period Dignity Grant to provide free period products to young carers at the Young Carers Festival which was held in Builth Wells.

Carers Trust have also shared further information about the Period Dignity Grant through their communication channels.

Action 10: in partnership with Sport Wales, assess the impact of periods on women, girls and people who menstruates participation in sport and exercise and consider options through which to improve and maintain participation levels for those who menstruate

We are working alongside Sport Wales to understand the impact of periods on sports participation. We are developing a set of actions to address identified challenges.

Quarterly online workshops are hosted by Sport Wales to share best practice examples with sporting governing bodies of how women, girls and people who menstruate were being supported to participate in sports. The most recent workshop was held in December 2025.

These workshops follow the Roundtable events held in 2024, which gathered insights from a range of sports via their National Governing bodies and clubs on the challenges and barriers periods present to sport participation.

Work continues against these actions, one of which is to enhance our understanding of the difficulties young people face in participating in sport as a result of menstruation. Sport Wales have held sessions with a number of sports clubs to speak to young people and Children in Wales have undertaken work on behalf of the Welsh Government to engage young people.

Health and Care Research Wales (HCRW) undertook a rapid evidence review to examine existing evidence in relation to the impact of periods on participation in sport. Using the research findings, we know more about how we can work better at improving and maintaining participation levels for those who menstruate.