A pilot project to provide secondary schoolgirls with free menstrual products kicked off on Friday, intending to eliminate the stigma surrounding menstrual hygiene from a young age. 

The Menstruation Pilot Project will involve around 900 secondary schoolgirls hailing from Gozo College Middle School, Mosta's Maria Regina College Secondary and Birkirkara’s St Monica Secondary School.

Students will no longer have to whisper, usually in shame, to their friends to ask if they have an extra pad or tampon, but now will have dispenser machines at school providing the products for free.

The dispensers provide two types of pads, for different menstrual flows and one type of tampon. The products chosen were the most preferred by students, according to an initial study for the project.

The dispensers will have two distribution methods tested. An automatic dispenser, that works by simply pressing a button, and tokenised dispensers, where students will need a dongle.

Both methods will provide pads and tampons, and there is no capping on how many products students can take. 

The number of dispensers per school was determined based on the student population. 

Katrina Delia said she is happy her school, St Monica Secondary, is part of the initiative to end the stigma associated with periods. 

“It’s not the first time one of us might have forgotten a pad or a tampon at home, or even someone just got their period at school. Now it is comfortable to know I can just grab a pad whenever I need one,” the 15-year-old told Times of Malta.

She said there is still a stigma on menstrual hygiene, and it can still be a hushed topic among friends. 

“This is something that women and girls experience, and something normal and we should break the stigma down.”

Another student, 14-year-old Michela Camilleri, said she knew many young students who see periods as “disgusting”.

“This scheme will show that periods are natural and perfectly normal,” she said. 

Awareness-raising campaigns will be launched at schools to address the stigma surrounding menstruation. Credit: Matthew Mirabelli

The pilot project to provide free menstrual products in schools was included in the Labour Party’s electoral manifesto. A budget of €500,000 was allocated to the project.

The distribution of free menstrual products in all state, church and private schools is planned to begin in the next academic year (2025/2026) and the pilot project will provide the necessary feedback before the implementation of the full-scale project. 

Project to reduce absenteeism of female students 

Speaking during the launch and unveiling of the dispenser machines, Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg said the project’s goal is to reduce the stigma surrounding a “natural process” every woman experiences. 

She said it is also a way to reduce the absenteeism of female students who fail to go to school during their period and to ease the financial burden of families to purchase these essential products. 

Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg speaking to students during the Menstrual Pilot Project on Friday. Video: Matthew Mirabelli

Buttigieg explained the initial phase of the project included a study to assess the costs of the menstrual products available in Malta and to see the experience of other countries that have adopted similar projects. 

Several countries have introduced schemes providing access to free menstrual products in schools. The University of Malta took a similar step last year when its students’ council introduced a free menstrual product dispenser at its Msida campus. The locker was broken into by thieves a month later.

The government is also discussing the possibility of reducing VAT on these products. Currently, VAT on menstrual products stands at 18%. 

To address the stigma surrounding menstruation, several initiatives will be launched in schools, including awareness-raising campaigns.