SENATOR Joseph Victor Ejercito is pushing for a measure promoting menstrual health and hygiene by providing free menstrual products to students in public schools and public health centers.

In his Senate Bill 2475 or the proposed Free Menstrual Products Act of 2023, Ejercito stressed that the lack of discourse on menstrual health care has resulted in discrimination and stigma causing some young Filipino students to miss school not only due to shame and embarrassment but also due to unaffordability.

“For so long, we have neglected the menstrual rights of girls and women of our country; one of them is denying their right to accessible and affordable menstrual care products,” Ejercito said.

The senator said the World Health Organization calls for the recognition of menstrual health as a Health and Human Rights issue — a health issue with physical, psychological, and social dimensions and one that “needs to be addressed in the perspective of a life course — from before menarche or onset of menstruation to after menopause or the last set of menstruation.

“Globally, cultural practices and taboos around menstruation have made a great negative impact on the lives of girls and women, thus reinforcing gender inequality and exclusion,” the senator added in his explanatory note.

The bill mandates the Department of Education to provide free menstrual products to female students, and for the Department of Health to provide free menstrual products in every Barangay Health Center for distribution to females who do not have the means to buy.

“It is time that we also advocate for the normalization of menstrual health and hygiene needs of menstruators from our country. It is time we prioritize the health of our girls and women by providing free-of-charge menstrual products to public school students and making them available in public health centers,” he added.