From 2026, free menstrual products will be available in every girls’ toilet in primary and secondary schools across the Czech Republic.

This decision follows the approval of a decree by Health Minister Vlastimil Válek (TOP 09), despite resistance from the Ministry of Education and some school founders.

Deputy Health Minister Václav Pláteník (KDU-ČSL) announced the final version of the measure on social media last Friday, calling it “an inexpensive step toward greater security and comfort.”

According to him, all girls’ toilets in schools will be stocked with pads starting in 2026, thanks to cooperation between the ministries, nonprofits, and student representatives.

Over the past year, the conversation around menstrual poverty in Czechia has intensified, driven by activism from students, nonprofit organizations, and experts.

The NGO Sola Pomáhá reports that as many as 89,000 girls in the country have had to use toilet paper when unexpectedly starting their period at school due to lack of access to sanitary products.

Another charity, People in Need, estimates that menstrual poverty affects around 38,000 girls aged 12 to 18 in Czechia.

 

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Un post condiviso da SOLA Pomáhá (@solapomaha)

Despite this, local municipalities and school founders — responsible for school budgets — initially pushed back against the new obligation, arguing that it would be too costly and complicated to implement. They lobbied for a voluntary system or a scaled-down version, limited to a single restroom per building.

But the Health Ministry did not agree. According to Pláteník, limiting access to just one toilet wouldn’t actually reduce costs in a meaningful way. As he pointed out, “The number of pads used isn’t dictated by how many restrooms there are — it’s determined by how many girls are at the school.”

The new policy places the responsibility for implementation on school founders — mainly municipalities and regional governments — who must now organize procurement and distribution. However, the Health Ministry says the costs are manageable even for smaller municipalities.

According to Sola Pomáhá’s estimates, the annual cost per school will range between CZK 5,000 and CZK 9,000, depending on the quality and type of products chosen.

Nationally, this could total CZK 30–50 million per year, far from an unmanageable sum in the context of education spending.

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