SCHOOLS in Wokingham are being urged to take advantage of a scheme that allows them to offer free sanitary products to girls facing period poverty.

The scheme, launched in January, allows state schools and sixth-form colleges to order tampons and sanitary towels from the government, so they can hand them out to students who need them.

But almost 60 per cent of schools in the UK have failed to sign up, despite concerns about a rise in period poverty during the pandemic.

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Wokingham Borough Council is now being asked to ensure that schools are taking advantage of this scheme.

Morag Malvern, who sits on Wokingham Town Council, has prepared a statement that will be read at a meeting of the council’s Agenda Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on November 5.

It reads: “Period poverty is a source of inequality in our society, and it has been made worse by the financial instability in the Covid crisis, and the lack of access to sanitary products when not attending school in person.

“Without access to free sanitary products, girls are resorting to using toilet roll, newspaper, or socks to cope with their periods, or missing school.

“Can the committee investigate what actions are being taken by the council to alert primary and secondary schools to the free scheme and to monitor take-up of the scheme by schools, and report back?”