Commissioner Connolly has today released Menstruation Matters – an in-depth exploration of the impact menstruation has on South Australian school aged children and young people who have periods. As one of the first reports to explore the issue in depth it makes the argument that because of the wide-ranging impact menstruation has on children and young people, the onus is on all sectors of society – government, education, business, health, and community – to recognise menstrual wellbeing and dignity as a systemic issue that is fundamental to children’s rights, central to economic productivity, and crucial to achieving gender equity across the State. Children and young people have told the Commissioner they want the social, economic, cultural and environmental barriers relating to menstruation to stop impacting negatively on their lives while in school and across society more broadly. They have made it clear that improved health outcomes require better menstruation education, universal access to period products and adequate provision of facilities that enable them to manage their periods more easily. By addressing these needs the stigma and taboo that surrounds menstruation will decline.
Download a copy of the Menstruation Matters report here
Download the full Media Release here
