Darwin High students lead effort to stocking more menstrual products at school

After researching period poverty, this high school student realised the extent of grief a lack of menstruation products had on her peers. Read her plight to change it.

When Darwin High student Lily Jenkins learned the extent of period poverty, she knew she had to do more for her school community than just submit an assessment.

The 17-year-old student, who completed the assessment in Year 10, took the research to her fellow School Representative Council members and sought out what sanitary products Darwin High had on offer.

She learned through a student survey while the school stocked products at the front office, it would cause her peers some grief having to go to administration asking for items.

“We found out that a lot of people actually left school because they didn’t feel comfortable staying, because of the lack of products,” she said.

“It wasn’t spoken about much they might have felt a bit embarrassed.

“A lot of people went home, a lot of people didn’t even know that at the office you could get for your products and a lot of people said they wouldn’t choose to come to the office, which is understandable.

Darwin High School student Lily Jenkins has led big changes in how students can access sanitary products. Picture: Floss Adams

“I listened to what they said and I wanted to act on it.

“Everyone wanted it to be free, which is something we really wanted to achieve.”

Lily engaged TABOO, a social enterprise selling menstruation products with profits and advocacy dedicated to eradicating period poverty.

Shortly after Lily reached out to TABOO, in 2021 the NT Government announced a $40,000 program to allow government primary, middle and senior schools to buy sanitary products and cater to student needs.

The stars were aligned for Lily. She and her peers used the funding to stock school bathrooms with TABOO products.

She said her peers were mostly comfortable speaking about menstruation, students were hesitant voicing their need for products.

“Now it’s so normal that people don’t even think about it,” she said.

“I just see people go grab them and it’s no one looks, so one says anything. It’s just completely normal.

“(The funding was) a big shock. It was so helpful. We were finally able to do what we had talked about and planned. Without the money, I don’t think it would have been like as successful as it is now.”

Tampons are among the products available to students. Picture: Floss Adams.

The program is still in the pilot phase, with an evaluation planned in the future. It will continue once the evaluation is complete.

Darwin High assistant principal Yashodara McCormack said school staff were thrilled students were taking action.

“(We’re) really excited that it was a student initiative, excited that it was responding to a need, excited that anything keeps young people at school and learning is fantastic, rather than not being here if they have periods,” she said.

Results from Share the Dignity’s Bloody Big Survey, released in August, found 19 per cent of participants from the Northern Territory have been unable to afford period products.

The NT and Tasmania had the equal highest percentage.