The government is expected to make a pledge next week to end period poverty in English secondary schools.
According to The Guardian, chancellor Phillip Hammond will announce on Wednesday that it intends to make sanitary products available for free in all secondary schools in England from September.
Hammond will also announce that the free sanitary products scheme is to be jointly designed by Penny Mordaunt, minister for women and equalities, and education secretary Damian Hinds.
Last August, Scotland announced a similar scheme making sanitary products available free to all pupils to help "banish the scourge of period poverty". The Welsh government also made moves to tackle period poverty with a £1m fund in March.
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Period poverty is a big problem for girls and young women in the UK. A 2017 study by Plan International found that one in 10 girls have been unable to afford sanitary products.
The study also found that similar number have had to "improvise" their sanitary wear, using things like socks, T-shirts or tissue paper.
Dawn Butler, the shadow minister for women and equalities, called the new scheme in English secondary schools "a victory for all those who have campaigned for an end to period poverty".
"It's a disgrace that period poverty exists in the sixth richest country in the world," she added.
Period poverty charity Red Box Project also welcomed the news, but said the free sanitary products scheme should be extended to English primary schools as well.
The organisation tweeted: "We’re absolutely delighted to hear that @govuk will fund free & universal access to menstrual products in schools (although we know from our work this needs to be in primaries as well as secondaries)".
University student Amika George, who has campaigned to end period poverty with her #FreePeriods campaign, tweeted today: "WE DID IT!!!!! 271,000 of you signed the petition, 2,000 of you protested. Today, the government has just pledged to end #periodpoverty by pledging FREE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS in all secondary schools! #FreePeriods."
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