Bolsonaro blocks free tampons and pads for disadvantaged women in Brazil

President Jair Bolsonaro’s decision to block a plan to distribute free sanitary pads and tampons to disadvantaged girls and women has been met with outrage in Brazil, where period poverty is estimated to keep one in four girls out of school.

Bolsonaro vetoed part of a bill that would have given sanitary products at no charge to groups including homeless people, prisoners and teenage girls at state schools. It was expected to benefit 5.6 million women and was part of a bigger package of laws to promote menstrual health, which has been approved by legislators.

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“Bolsonaro says this project is ‘against the public interest’ – I say that what is against the public interest is that girls lose around six weeks of school a year because they are menstruating,” Amaral told the Guardian.

She was among politicians and other groups outraged by justifications given for the veto – including that giving free sanitary products to poor girls and women would “favour a certain group”. Many expressed their anger using the hashtag #LivreParaMenstruar (free to menstruate).

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“Have you ever imagined using paper, newspaper or breadcrumbs to contain menstruation? This is a harsh reality, especially among young people. In the midst of the pandemic and worsening social inequality this situation has got even worse.”

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/oct/11/bolsonaro-blocks-free-tampons-and-pads-for-disadvantaged-women-in-brazil