Free tampons at school in Veurne: “Too expensive for 1 girl out of 8”

And so some teachers launched the Goed GeRegeerd project. They hope that their project will be followed throughout Flanders. As of today, every toilet in the Atheneum has a basket with sanitary towels and tampons.

“If we have our rules without us knowing it, it’s handy to have sanitary towels and tampons here,” says Léa Sénéchal. “I think that’s great, especially for the girls who can’t afford it,” adds Bo Penel.

Too expensive for 1 girl out of 8

And so there are many. As many as one in eight girls in Flanders cannot afford a sanitary towel or tampon, according to research.

Frauke Rossel, co-initiator of Goed GeRegelle: “We were so shocked by that. When you hear what the consequences are. Girls stay away from school. Girls who have a test can’t concentrate, what they are thinking, I’m going to go now. leak?”

Together with two colleagues, Frauke set up the Good Regulations project. All classes received a word of explanation last week. It makes the subject negotiable. The boys also react positively.

“I thought they were going to be stupid about it and laugh about it. But they understand that very well and they understand that sometimes it is difficult for us. Ebbe Vandaele: “I notice that a lot of guys hadn’t thought about that yet. I am not that hard myself. But that the initiative makes it easier for girls to talk about it. “I think it’s a really good initiative,” says Ziena Forrez. “Now everyone will be able to talk about it and help each other.”

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Also in other schools?

After the autumn holidays, the other schools of the school group will also participate in the project. Only problem is the money. They hope for subsidies from the minister of education.

“This is very important, not only because of the sanitary towel itself. If our students increase their well-being by having this, their learning capacity will also increase. Then we can perform our core task of teaching better,” says Eddy Caluwaerts of GO! Athenaeum Veurne Center.

The atheneum wants to roll out the project in all Flemish schools, over the nets, so that there are tampons and sanitary towels in all girls’ toilets, just like there is toilet paper everywhere.