School children across Queensland will have access to free sanitary products as part of a collaboration between the state government and the charity organisation Share the Dignity.
The government has announced a $2.5 million program to provide vending machines dispensing free products in schools across the state.
Education Minister Grace Grace said 62 schools will initially receive 'dignity vending machines', with 120 eventually expected to be supplied with the service.
The initiative will distribute sanitary products to girls across 53 state schools, five Catholic schools and four independent schools.
"Access to sanitary products and misplaced stigma around periods should never be barriers to learning," the minister said.
For those who missed making an expression of interest, applications for a further 58 machines will be tendered later this year.
All Queensland schools will also have access to a Period Talk education program, designed to educate students in years five to eight about menstruation and the impact of periods.
Share the Dignity founder Rochelle Courtenay said educating students and ensuring they can easily access sanitary products is essential.
"I am also excited to be able to educate boys and girls on menstruation with Period Talk, which will help us create long-term change and guide us towards a future where period is not a taboo word," she said.
Queensland joins Victoria in providing free sanitary pads and tampons in all government schools after the Victorian government implemented a $20.7 million initiative in 2019.
NSW is also rolling out a statewide program across its public schools - due to be completed by the end of June at a cost of $30 million - to provide free tampons and pads for students.
Share the Dignity has installed 265 dignity vending machines across Australia, dispensing 155,000 of their PinkBoxes since October 2021.
