Ending Period Poverty in Czech Schools? New Initiative by People in Need Expands

Period poverty has become an urgent issue in the Czech Republic, and many schools are stepping up to tackle it.

Starting after the autumn holidays, free menstrual products will be provided in the bathrooms of 60 schools nationwide, thanks to an initiative by the People in Need organization.

The program began with pilot installations in select schools last year, such as Mojžíř Elementary School in Ústí nad Labem. Despite initial hesitations, the school joined People in Need’s Reproductive Health of Girls and Women initiative, which aims to assist students facing economic hardships.

Period poverty is a very real concern for many families, as observed in People in Need’s social and educational programs.

Adéla Pospíchalová, Head of Educational Services for the organization, shared a common scenario: “Some families, like single mothers with multiple daughters, struggle to allocate even a few hundred crowns a month for hygiene products. Even two-parent households, where both parents work, can sometimes find themselves near the poverty line.”

In addition to the schools already on board, People in Need delivered menstrual baskets to 60 schools across the Czech Republic over the autumn holidays.

Schools in regions like Liberec, Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem, Pilsen, Olomouc, and Central Bohemia (including Prague) are now stocked to provide essential items to students in need.

One city taking further steps is Ostrava, which has pledged to provide free menstrual supplies in all primary schools starting January next year, fully funded by the city.

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