Municipal policy Helsinki starts distributing menstrual pads for free – “Menstrual poverty affects many menstruating people in Finland”

Helsinki the city council decided at its meeting on wednesday to start an experiment with the distribution of free menstrual pads in primary and secondary schools.

The decision is based on the Greens Amanda Pasasen, Fatim Diarran and Alviina Alametsän initiative that “menstrual poverty affects many menstruating people in Finland”. In addition to the troika, 21 other delegates have signed the initiative.

“For a poor person, the amount spent on menstrual pads can be a significant part of a month’s or week’s budget (…) No one should have to choose between spending their money on food or menstrual pads,” the initiative says.

The method of carrying out the experiment is not yet clear, but will be considered next in the field of education and training.

Initiative discussed for the first time in the council in June.

At the time, the officials in their draft decision were of the opinion that the distribution of free menstrual pads was not part of the basic tasks of school health care. However, the then city council decided to return the initiative to the preparation with the idea that Helsinki would prepare for the distribution of free menstrual pads.

The current city council maintained this position and the start of the experiment was decided by a 50-31 vote. Most of the Coalition Council’s council group, the Basic Finns, the Christian Democrats and some of Liike Nyt’s delegates opposed the start of the experiment.

Coalition Party Pia Pakarinen questioned the benefits of the experiment. Basic Finns Mari Rantanen in turn, questioned the use of the term menstrual poverty.

“We do not have menstrual poverty in Finland. The whole term has come to us from developing countries, ”he said.