The Government will distribute free menstrual cups in institutes in a pilot test

The Generalitat will distribute menstrual cups and other reusable menstrual hygiene products in some Catalan institutes, for a pilot test that will start in spring, in order to plan and assess a measure that seeks to guarantee menstrual equity and extend the next school year to all centers in Catalonia, if the experience goes well.

The Councilor for Equality and Feminisms of the Generalitat, Tània Verge, has defended in an interview with Europa Press this measure of menstrual fairness, with which to give recognition to the added cost that women have to pay “for the simple fact of menstruating.” Verge has also referred to the demand that the central government apply a reduced or super reduced VAT to these products.

The menstrual cups will be distributed with information “about the body itself, about menstruation and linked to sexual and reproductive rights”, which the Catalan Executive wants to guarantee with the National Strategy for Sexual and Reproductive Rights – led by Verge and brings together eight more – in different phases, and this measure is one of them.

The councilor has detailed that they are working on this measure with up to four ministries, including Climate Action, because they are objects environmentally sustainable, and Education, so that the centers that participate in the test are representative of the territorial diversity.

Youth and sexist violence

On the other hand, Verge has stressed that it is necessary to work in the age group younger because the sexist violence They are also channeled through social networks or mobile messaging applications in ways such as ‘sexting’, extortion or sexual harassment, and he has described the technology as a double-edged sword because, at the same time, it also contributes to awareness Social.

About the same age group, he has insisted on preventing the pornography be a benchmark of sexuality and that young people have accurate information to know how to protect themselves from diseases sexually transmitted, of pregnancies and “can have healthy relationships based on equality.”

The Department of Equality and Feminisms also works with Education in the review of the ‘Coeduca’t’ program so that the sex-affective education start from 0-3 year education with progressive implementation.

To this is added the plan for violence-free schools promoted by Education, with which a web application has been developed so that both minors and the adults in their environment can report a situation of child sexual abuse.

Prevention and awareness

The head of Equality and Feminisms has admitted that the preventionIn matters of violence, it has been one of the forgotten legs while, for her, it is the indispensable tool: “There have been partial efforts and not strategic planning at the country level”, and she has ensured that now the department is working on this address.

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“A structure has been prepared for a department that can last for years, that has the capacity to design a country strategy. We have laid the foundations”, has assessed Verge on the first months of the legislature, and has trusted that the Budgets of 2022 will have a lot of capacity to implement this political project, in his words.

Verge has appealed especially to men in the co-responsibility to eradicate sexist violence and to be an active part of the background work to delegitimize violence, for which his department will promote bells related to egalitarian masculinity, paternity, care, and even stereotypes and prejudices that “limit the possibility – of men – to be free.”