What’s happening?

WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAD TO SAY ABOUT…
Periods, Relationships and their Sexual Health Education

Children and young people across South Australia were asked to tell their Commissioner what they thought about how they were being taught about periods, relationships and their sexual health, including what they think needs to change.

This is what they said…

• • • What Aboriginal Young People Told Us About…
    • What CALD Young People Told Us About…
    • What Young People with Disability Told Us About…
    • What LGBTQIA+ Young People Told Us About…

HOCKEY PLAYERS GET FREE PERIOD PRODUCTS 

Thanks to a CCYP Period Poverty Grant, Whyalla Hockey Club has installed period product dispensers in all of its bathrooms and changerooms. The Club also held a launch event with a guest speaker midwife to chat about menstruation to the players and their families, with some free giveaways for attendees.

COMMISSIONER’S PERIOD POVERTY GRANTS PROGRAM 2022

Children and young people across South Australia are already seeing the benefits of menstrual education and the provision of free products thanks to the Commissioner for Children and Young People. 

Sports clubs, arts organisations, community groups and local councils across South Australia are recipients of the Commissioner’s 2022 Period Poverty Grants. The Commissioner was delighted that dozens of organisations applied for the grants to help them to raise awareness and improve provision for young people who menstruate.

Download the press release to read details of which organisations were successful and what their grant projects are.

MENSTRUATION RESEARCH NETWORK

The Commissioner for Children and Young People has established a network of academics working across Australia to further research into menstruation. Their areas of research are diverse and include specialisms in business, health, education and the environment.

Any academics in Australia wishing to join this network should contact emma.houghton@sa.gov.au.

Recent menstrual research projects being undertaken by Australian academics include:

Professor Ruth Knight has published the preliminary results of an Australian study into how periods impact the lives of those who menstruate. The report provides valuable insights into the impact of periods and period poverty on the lives of young people. Read More

How women see their premenstrual bodies, by Samantha Ryan, Professor Jane Ussher and Alexandra Hawkey. Mapping the abject: Women’s embodied experiences of premenstrual body dissatisfaction through body-mapping. Samantha Ryan, Jane M Ussher, Alexandra Hawkey, 2022 (sagepub.com)

Christina Bradley from TAFE Queensland and her team won the TAFE Qld Diversity and Cultural Contribution Award in September for their work to introduce free period products to TAFE venues on the Gold Coast. Read More

Menstruation advice online: A team from Western Sydney University developed a new website on menstrual cycles and conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis, PMS and more. It also provides evidence-based self-care menstrual management strategies including yoga postures, breathing exercises and dietary advice. Read More

Identifying the drivers of menstrual material disposal and washing practices, by Hannah Robinson and Dr Dani Barrington: Watch Here

Overcoming the barriers to menstruation management in remote communities, by Dr Nina Lansbury Hall, Professor Sandra Creamer AM and Minnie King: Read More

NATIONAL PERIOD SUMMIT WRAP UP

In June 2021, the CCYP organised a National Period Summit with partners Taboo, Chalice and GOGO Foundation, Period Revolution, and Modibodi, to raise awareness of period poverty and highlight areas for future action. More than 100 participants gathered in Adelaide to discuss periods and menstruation more broadly. (The 3 min video below provides an overview of the day’s proceedings.)

End Period Poverty Petition

A total of 629 people signed the Commissioner’s Period Poverty Petition calling upon the state government, the feminine hygiene industry, and community stakeholders to work together to end period poverty permanently in South Australia.

The dates for the petition coincided with International Menstrual Hygiene Day 2020 – a day set aside each year to break taboos surrounding menstruation, raise awareness about periods, and understand the importance and benefits of good menstrual hygiene practices and management throughout the world.