Agenda item

This Council notes:

·       In 2022 a survey commissioned by Action Aid UK found nearly one in eight women in Great Britain had recently struggled to buy menstrual products — either for themselves or for a dependent.

·       The survey found, of those who has struggled to afford menstrual products, 75% had needed to prioritise spending money on food and 49% needed to prioritise spending money on gas/electric.

·       A number of Councils across the UK have already set up or agreed to schemes to provide free period products, including Oxford City Council.

·       35% of teenage girls said they had taken time off school because of their period which is a 7% increase since 2019.

·       A YouGov survey showed two thirds of Britons supported making it a legal requirement for local authorities to provide free period products.

 

Council strongly believes:

·       The cost-of-living crisis has forced many women to prioritise other household essentials such as food, clothes and heating over menstrual products.

·       No one should ever have to experience period poverty.

 

Council resolves to ask Cabinet to:

·       Look into a period pant scheme, akin to reusable nappy schemes, to help with the costly purchase of more climate friendly products for all ages.

·       Promote the national school period product scheme to all Oxfordshire schools and monitor gaps in uptake.

·       Make free Menstrual products accessible in every council owned building in the county.

 

Councillor Sally Povolotsky moved and Councillor Kate Gregory seconded the following motion:

 

“This Council notes:

·         In 2022 a survey commissioned by Action Aid UK found nearly one in eight women in Great Britain had recently struggled to buy menstrual products — either for themselves or for a dependent.

·         The survey found, of those who has struggled to afford menstrual products, 75% had needed to prioritise spending money on food and 49% needed to prioritise spending money on gas/electric.

·         A number of Councils across the UK have already set up or agreed to schemes to provide free period products, including Oxford City Council.

·         35% of teenage girls said they had taken time off school because of their period which is a 7% increase since 2019.

·         A YouGov survey showed two thirds of Britons supported making it a legal requirement for local authorities to provide free period products.

Council strongly believes:

·         The cost-of-living crisis has forced many women to prioritise other household essentials such as food, clothes and heating over menstrual products.

·         No one should ever have to experience period poverty.

Council resolves to ask Cabinet to:

·         Look into a period pant scheme, akin to reusable nappy schemes, to help with the costly purchase of more climate friendly products for all ages.

·         Promote the national school period product scheme to all Oxfordshire schools and monitor gaps in uptake.

·         Make free Menstrual products accessible in every council owned building in the county.”

Councillor Ted Fenton moved and Councillor Eddie Reeves seconded the following amendment:

 

This Council notes:

·         In 2022 a survey commissioned by Action Aid UK found nearly one in eight women in Great Britain had recently struggled to buy menstrual products — either for themselves or for a dependent.

·         The survey found, of those who has struggled to afford menstrual products, 75% had needed to prioritise spending money on food and 49% needed to prioritise spending money on gas/electric.

·         A number of Councils across the UK have already set up or agreed to schemes to provide free period products, including Oxford City Council.

·         35% of teenage girls said they had taken time off school because of their period which is a 7% increase since 2019.

·         A YouGov survey showed two thirds of Britons supported making it a legal requirement for local authorities to provide free period products.

Council strongly believes:

·         The cost-of-living crisis has forced many women to prioritise other household essentials such as food, clothes and heating over menstrual products.

·         No one should ever have to experience period poverty.

Council resolves to ask Cabinet to:

·         Look into a period pant scheme, akin to reusable nappy schemes, to help with the costly purchase of more climate friendly products for all ages.

·         Promote the national school period product scheme to all Oxfordshire schools and monitor gaps in uptake.

·         Make free Mmenstrual products accessible in every appropriate council owned building in the county.

The proposers did not accept the amendment.  Following debate the amendment was put to a vote.

 

The amendment was lost by 13 votes to 35 with no abstentions.

 

Following further debate Councillor Calum Miller moved and Councillor Duncan Enright seconded that the question be put.  The motion was carried with 39 votes in favour, 3 against and no abstentions.

 

The motion was carried with 46 in favour, none against and no abstentions.

 

RESOLVED (unanimously):-

This Council notes:

·         In 2022 a survey commissioned by Action Aid UK found nearly one in eight women in Great Britain had recently struggled to buy menstrual products — either for themselves or for a dependent.

·         The survey found, of those who has struggled to afford menstrual products, 75% had needed to prioritise spending money on food and 49% needed to prioritise spending money on gas/electric.

·         A number of Councils across the UK have already set up or agreed to schemes to provide free period products, including Oxford City Council.

·         35% of teenage girls said they had taken time off school because of their period which is a 7% increase since 2019.

·         A YouGov survey showed two thirds of Britons supported making it a legal requirement for local authorities to provide free period products.

Council strongly believes:

·         The cost-of-living crisis has forced many women to prioritise other household essentials such as food, clothes and heating over menstrual products.

·         No one should ever have to experience period poverty.

Council resolves to ask Cabinet to:

·         Look into a period pant scheme, akin to reusable nappy schemes, to help with the costly purchase of more climate friendly products for all ages.

·         Promote the national school period product scheme to all Oxfordshire schools and monitor gaps in uptake.

·         Make free Menstrual products accessible in every council owned building in the county.”

Councillor Ted Fenton moved and Councillor Eddie Reeves seconded the following amendment:

 

This Council notes:

·         In 2022 a survey commissioned by Action Aid UK found nearly one in eight women in Great Britain had recently struggled to buy menstrual products — either for themselves or for a dependent.

·         The survey found, of those who has struggled to afford menstrual products, 75% had needed to prioritise spending money on food and 49% needed to prioritise spending money on gas/electric.

·         A number of Councils across the UK have already set up or agreed to schemes to provide free period products, including Oxford City Council.

·         35% of teenage girls said they had taken time off school because of their period which is a 7% increase since 2019.

·         A YouGov survey showed two thirds of Britons supported making it a legal requirement for local authorities to provide free period products.

Council strongly believes:

·         The cost-of-living crisis has forced many women to prioritise other household essentials such as food, clothes and heating over menstrual products.

·         No one should ever have to experience period poverty.

Council resolves to ask Cabinet to:

·         Look into a period pant scheme, akin to reusable nappy schemes, to help with the costly purchase of more climate friendly products for all ages.

·         Promote the national school period product scheme to all Oxfordshire schools and monitor gaps in uptake.

·         Make free Menstrual products accessible in every council owned building in the county.