Council
Date of meeting 20 October 2022
Agenda Item 44
CONSERVATIVE Group Amendment
Free period products
in public buildings
That changes are made as shown below in bold italics and strikethrough.
a) Believes that everyone who requires period products should be able to access them for free
b)
A person’s period should not prevent them from
succeeding in life
c) Believes that sanitary protection is a basic human requirement, and through charities like In Kind Direct there are ways women and girls can access the products they need
d) Notes that work to tackle period poverty gained cross party support at a council committee in December 2018 - Response to media coverage about period poverty guidance for schools (brighton-hove.gov.uk) where councillors then agreed to support the campaign by providing funding for the local Red Box project which distributes free period products to schools. A report before the Council’s then Neighbourhoods, Inclusion, Communities and Equalities Committee on 3 December 2018 proposed allocating £3,620 towards the start-up costs of extending the project to all local schools - Brighton and Hove News » Free sanitary products likely to be offered to all Brighton and Hove schools
e) Notes that Sam Whittaker and Denise Friend and other members of Labour Women presented in 2018 a 1,520-signature petition to Brighton and Hove City Council calling for free sanitary products to be provided in schools as part of the council’s health and wellbeing strategy to counter period poverty - Brighton & Hove City Council - ePetition - Implement a policy for the distribution of free sanitary products to schools to counter period poverty (brighton-hove.gov.uk); Brighton and Hove News » Petition puts spotlight on period poverty in Brighton and Hove
f) Notes that One pack of sanitary padscontains the same amount of plastic as four carrier bags.
Therefore, Council resolves to:
1. Build on the positive work being done in Brighton &
Hove since working closely with schools across the city, and in
light of the cost-of-living crisis, pay further attention to period
poverty
2. Explore the provision of sanitary products in public
buildings including the Town Hall and community centres - in
female, male, disabled and gender neutral facilities
3. Explore whether any free disposable period products
provided by the council can be sustainably sourced
5. To publicise the provision of free period products through
council communication channels
6. To encourage the Council to widen access to free period
products across Brighton & Hove providing free period products
in toilets of all public buildings including libraries, schools and
colleges
7. To request the Chief Executive to write to the UK
government to press for funding to public bodies in England
that would enable them to make period products free and available
to all those who need them, as has been done in Scotland and
Wales
1. To action what it agreed unanimously in 2018: to raise awareness of where to go, and how to get free sanitary products, without feeling any sense of embarrassment or shame.
2. To significantly improve menopause education amongst all council staff and councillors.
3. Explore the provision of sanitary waste bins in all toilets, not just female toilets.
4. Support businesses such as Flo and LSE who produce plastic-free period products.
5. Request that the chief executive and the chair of the health and wellbeing board to write to the NHS in Sussex to demand that every GP practice in the city has a menopause trained GP.
Proposed by: Cllr Bagaeen Seconded by: Cllr Simson
Motion to read if carried:
This Council:
a) Believes that everyone who requires period products should be able to access them for free
b) Believes that sanitary protection is a basic human requirement, and through charities like In Kind Direct there are ways women and girls can access the products they need
c) Notes that work to tackle period poverty gained cross party support at a council committee in December 2018 - Response to media coverage about period poverty guidance for schools (brighton-hove.gov.uk) where councillors then agreed to support the campaign by providing funding for the local Red Box project which distributes free period products to schools. A report before the Council’s then Neighbourhoods, Inclusion, Communities and Equalities Committee on 3 December 2018 proposed allocating £3,620 towards the start-up costs of extending the project to all local schools - Brighton and Hove News » Free sanitary products likely to be offered to all Brighton and Hove schools
d) Notes that Sam Whittaker and Denise Friend and other members of Labour Women presented in 2018 a 1,520-signature petition to Brighton and Hove City Council calling for free sanitary products to be provided in schools as part of the council’s health and wellbeing strategy to counter period poverty - Brighton & Hove City Council - ePetition - Implement a policy for the distribution of free sanitary products to schools to counter period poverty (brighton-hove.gov.uk); Brighton and Hove News » Petition puts spotlight on period poverty in Brighton and Hove
e) Notes that One pack of sanitary pads contains the same amount of plastic as four carrier bags.
Therefore, Council resolves to:
1. To action what it agreed unanimously in 2018: to raise awareness of where to go, and how to get free sanitary products, without feeling any sense of embarrassment or shame.
2. To significantly improve menopause education amongst all council staff and councillors.
3. Explore the provision of sanitary waste bins in all toilets, not just female toilets.
4. Support businesses such as Flo and LSE who produce plastic-free period products.
5. Request that the chief executive and the chair of the health and wellbeing board to write to the NHS in Sussex to demand that every GP practice in the city has a menopause trained GP.