REPORTER:

How much do you spend on menstrual products every year?

It’s a necessity but an extra cost for women around the world. Especially for those struggling to make ends meet.

While help is already in place in Taiwan, civic groups here say it’s a gender equality issue. They’re calling for universal relief for all girls aged 16 to 22.

I spend about [US$5.56] on menstrual products and [US$2.94] on painkillers every month.

Period needs should not be defined or limited by the poverty line.

REPORTER:

The current policy, implemented by the education ministry in 2023, allocates over 8 million US dollars each year. It suggests schools of all levels put sanitary items up for grabs in clean, convenient locations.

But this group says those measures can backfire if not done properly.

Distributing menstrual products to disadvantaged students might lead to stigmatization.

Also, the products lack variety and aren’t easily accessible when placed at fixed locations.

REPORTER:

Instead, they’re proposing vouchers worth about 40 US dollars per year for teenage girls and young women, hoping the government will increase the age limit to benefit more people.

While some eligible for the voucher are happy to see some assistance, they also say cash doesn’t help in emergencies.

Pads are pretty expensive so I do think [the voucher] would be helpful.

[But] there’s no need to take away [the free stuff].

What I actually see more often is people leaving some themselves.

So for someone who truly needs it in the moment I think both [the voucher and the free products] don't conflict at all.

I think they’re two separate things.

If [the products] are there it’s for someone who forgot to bring theirs.

No one would assume that there will be pads in a restroom and not bring their own.

People will use them if they really don’t have their own.

REPORTER:

Others say the money is little help, and the focus should be on implementing the current policy correctly.

Others say the money is little help, and the focus should be on making sure the products already being provided are accessible and safe to use.

If I looked at what I pay for pads each year it would cost way more than [US$39].

REPORTER:

The current policy isn't binding, which means it’s up to schools to figure out how and if they provide free products.

It’s also not original. In 2020, Scotland set an example by offering free tampons and pads in pharmacies and community centers to anyone who needs them. Sweden also started offering these products to its female conscripts in 2023.

About 9% of women in Taiwan struggle to buy sanitary items for their monthly needs. While that’s less than other countries in Asia, it still has some way to go to make sure women and girls are safe and healthy.