An NGO that gives free English classes to migrants is to provide its female students with free menstrual products.
“The cost of living is rising swiftly but wages and benefits are not, and it’s becoming harder and harder for our students to cover their basic needs,” Justine Lubnow, the president of the board of Blue Door English told Times of Malta.
The NGO will offer pads, tampons, menstrual cups, period underwear, breastfeeding pads, diapers and other hygiene products for free to their female students.
“Period products are expensive, and this expense is a burden to every person born female. We wish to support our students in maintaining their sense of dignity, as well as address the stigma surrounding periods by setting up a ‘Menstruation Station’,” she said.
Menstruation products and other hygiene products are not free in Malta and earlier this year the Labour Party promised free distribution of menstrual products in schools to remove the stigma associated with periods.
A number of other NGOs, such as Women for Women, also help other women and mothers who cannot afford period products.
Lubnow said in the past students have spoken about the high cost of hygiene products and their inability to afford them.
The Menstruation Station at Blue Door English.“It’s a huge sign of trust that our students speak to us about something so intimate, or about something which they feel ashamed or embarrassed about.”
Female students can speak to a female volunteer and access the Menstruation Station in the NGO’s office before, during or after a lesson, whichever they feel more comfortable with.
Volunteers will keep track of which products are chosen, and make sure they are distributed in a fair manner. The stock will be replenished every two weeks.
The Embassy of the Netherlands is supporting the initiative, providing the NGO with a grant in order to set up the station.
“The menstruation station is one less huge worry for our female students, they know and trust that we can help them by supplying them with products for their basic needs,” she said.
Blue Door English, based in Valletta, gives about 14 weekly classes and is staffed by volunteers.
Its aim is not only to provide students with education but also to provide a safe space for them to feel accepted and help them integrate.
Currently, around 80 female students attend classes, some being mothers who attend ‘Mums and Bubs’ classes, where they can sit for their lessons and have their children taken care by other volunteers.