#BleedinJustice: One woman’s fight to make free period products freely available in Ireland

Increasing accessibility

“Research shows that lots of young people don’t go to school when they have their period because of pain or difficulty accessing period products,” says Moynihan. “The idea that anyone would be prevented from attending school, or work, solely because of a lack of access to suitable products is unacceptable. I want everyone to be able to easily access period products and not have financial inequality hold them back.”

A key part of her 2021 campaign, inspired by legislation in Scotland – the first country in the world to enshrine universal access to menstrual paraphernalia into law – was an online public consultation survey. “We launched the survey on January 25 and within only a few days thousands of people had filled it out. We received an incredible response, receiving some really great suggestions and ideas. So many people are contacting me to share their experiences.”

Consultation is key

Having a two-way conversation is likewise embedded into her bill, requiring schools, institutions and public bodies to engage with those who use its services. “Consultation is key,” she says. 

On a practical level, what “access” looks like will be up to individual institutions, that’s not for the government to micromanage. Some schools might choose a free-for-all basket of items in bathrooms, others might prefer a sign-out, stockroom system. “This is why my bill obliges each public body to consult with their users, so together they can decide where is best to access these items. And on a wider scale, we need to link in with the various charities to include State access to all vulnerable people, including those experiencing homelessness or in Direct Provision. Access to period products means access for all.”

Unfortunately, her bill has just been usurped by a less comprehensive one: “a cuckoo bill,” as cleverly coined by Una Mullally in The Irish Times, put forward by Fianna Fáil senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee. Such duplication of resources is inexplicable to many. But for those who work in politics it is commonplace and often how things get done. So while Clifford-Lee’s bill has passed in principle, it must next go to a committee then the Women’s Caucus then Dáil before returning back to the Seanad. Multiple revisions will be made, and could well end up being closer to what Moynihan had in mind from the outset.