Jane Hutt MS, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
May 28 is Menstrual Hygiene Day and this year the theme is "Together for a period-friendly world".
Achieving period dignity and eradicating period poverty is the cornerstone of the Welsh Government’s Period Proud Wales Plan published in February 2023. The ten key actions within the plan outline how everyone should have access to period products, whenever they are needed. In January 2025, we published the Period Proud Wales Action Plan: progress update, which tracks the positive progress we are making.
Welsh Government provides funding to local authorities to make free period products available within schools, colleges and communities. For the financial year 2025-26, the Period Dignity Grant will total over £3.25m. In addition, Universities in Wales receive funding through the Wellbeing Grant, to support period dignity for their students.
Fantastic work has been undertaken across Wales by the Period Dignity Leads in every local authority, and I wish to celebrate their successes today. Period products are available in schools and across a range of community venues including, but not limited to, foodbanks, libraries, leisure centres, family centres, community hubs and youth services.
For example, Pembrokeshire have a number of ‘Pick and Mix’ stands in a variety of locations where people can choose from a range of period products, and this is becoming more commonplace across Wales.
In Flintshire, libraries have hosted face-to-face sessions to facilitate open conversations about periods with the whole community, including men, and in doing so have created an inclusive and period friendly environment for all. These events also played an important part in the popularity of reuseable products as information and advice was made more accessible. Increasing availability and awareness of reusable products supports our transition to a circular economy in Wales, keeping materials in use for as long as possible to reduce waste.
I am proud that over 90% of the period products purchased in the financial year 2023-2024 were environmentally friendly and that we are on track to achieve the same for 2024-2025, ensuring that people have access to plastic free disposable products and a range of reuseable options. This surpasses our environmental targets which aim to reach 90% by 2027 and contributes to Welsh Governments wider goals under the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 for a more prosperous Wales that recognises the limits of the global environment.
We know that education has a pivotal role to play in improving the understanding of menstrual cycles to remove the stigma of talking about periods, increase the understanding of periods and dispel the taboos and myths often associated with them. The Period Dignity Grant supports training costs, ensuring that teachers, community leads and students are all able to access training and resources.
In Ceredigion, the Youth Council have demonstrated leadership through producing Period Dignity Guidance for Schools. It highlights how schools can promote period dignity by identifying the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to support all pupils, regardless of whether they menstruate or not. Monmouth School have encouraged students to become Period Ambassadors, ensuring students are actively involved in choosing period products and where they are located within the school.
There are a number of resources that have been developed, such as Busting the Myths, available on Hwb, and the Bloody Brilliant website which was created by Social Change UK on behalf of NHS Wales and the Welsh Government.
The Women’s Health Plan, published in December 2024, includes menstrual health as one of the eight priority areas with a number of key actions to improve the experience of women accessing services. This includes the timely diagnosis and management of menstrual health conditions through the establishment of pathfinder Women’s Health Hubs in each Health Board and an expansion of Bloody Brilliant resources.
Sport Wales is also working closely with Welsh Government and has hosted three roundtable events with sporting governing bodies to discuss the challenges menstruation causes when people participate in sports. As a result, more period products are now available in sport settings. Sport Wales have created free online training which provides an introduction to the menstrual cycle in sport, highlighting considerations of menstrual health and advice on how to start these conversations with athletes.
We know that more work is needed to remove the stigma that surround periods and impacts the support that young people receive. Plan UK have launched a Period Peer Programme which aims to support young people in becoming period peers to one another, and guides organisations on becoming period proud environments. I welcome the work undertaken by many other organisations in the third and private sectors across Wales, who are actively choosing to provide free products to their staff and customers.
As we mark Menstrual Hygiene Day, I would urge anyone struggling to afford period products to have the confidence to seek the support they need with free period products available in more places than ever before. By talking about periods, and supporting each other, we can take meaningful steps to ensuring period dignity for all and a #period friendly Wales.