5. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Period Dignity

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:21 pm on 1 March 2022.

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Photo of Sioned Williams Sioned Williams Plaid Cymru 4:21, 1 March 2022

The first campaign I ever ran was on something related to period dignity. Similarly to Laura Anne Jones, we've been there. I remember we had outdoor loos in the comprehensive school I went to, which used to freeze in the winter. They were awful, awful things. And I remember that there weren't bins inside the cubicles for sanitary products, so you had to, you know, at a tender 12 years of age, troop out of the cubicle with your used sanitary product, put it in the bin in full view of everybody else. The teachers took all the girls into a room to give us a row because we were blocking the toilets, and I pointed out that there was a reason for that. My voice wasn't heard at the time, because unfortunately the learner voice wasn't as valued as much then as it is today. Thankfully, that has changed.