A pioneering initiative by the Government and the pharmaceutical group
Starting today, Catalan pharmacies will offer free menstrual cups, absorbent panties and cloth pads to all menstruating women, non-binary people and trans men. This is a measure promoted by the Department of Equality and Feminism and the Council of Pharmaceutical Colleges of Catalonia (CCFC), which have signed a collaboration agreement with a budget of 8.5 million euros.
How can I access the products?
If you are interested in this initiative, you just have to go to any of the pharmacies participating in the project and show a personal and non-transferable QR code that you will find in the La Meva Salut mobile application. You can then choose one of the three products on offer according to the one that best suits your preferences and needs.
What are the objectives of the measure?
The Minister for Equality and Feminism, Laura Verge, presented this measure as a transformative action that seeks three goals: climate justice, to reduce the 750 million wastes that are produced every year due to the use of non-reusable menstrual products, justice of gender, to eliminate “myths and stereotypes”, and social justice, to fight menstrual poverty. Regarding this last aspect, a survey by the Center d’Estudis d’Opinió (CEO) published this Thursday reveals that two out of three Catalan women have reused disposable pads or tampons for economic reasons, despite the fact that they have lost part of the its effectiveness. The percentage is even higher when asked if they have purchased the product they wanted: four out of 10 said they can’t have the ones they want because they are too expensive.
The role of pharmacists
The president of the CCFC, Jordi Casas, believes that this initiative reinforces the role of pharmacists as “agents of health, proximity and trust” and the councilor anticipates that all or almost all pharmacies in Catalonia, a total of 3,272, can participate. “They are the guarantee of being able to reach all the women in the country, no matter where they live, and they are also reference spaces, trustworthy and with the necessary experience”, claimed the head of Equality and Feminisms, who thanked the enthusiasm of the CCFC.
Training in pharmacies to advise menstruating people
The measure is part of the Menstrual and Climacteric Equity Plan 2023-2025 that was approved by the Catalan Government last March and Verge has specified that the budget of 8.5 million is the item that will be allocated in the year that it comes for the purchase and distribution of products as well as to train pharmacists. With the training, the Government ensures advice in pharmacies on the correct use of the products, as well as support in the first episodes of menstruation. Pharmacists will also explain to interested people how the three products work so that they can choose under better conditions.
An action of feminist transformation
The councilor claims this measure as an action of feminist transformation to break the myths and taboos that affect the health and well-being of menstruating people: “This is the feminist transformation, always moving forward until equality is achieved.” Verge defends that this is a “very ambitious, highly complex” action, because it assures that the Government’s goal is to “guarantee the right to menstrual equity, reaching everyone and in the most accessible and close way possible. We are the first country that will distribute free reusable menstrual products to all women,” concluded the head of Equality.
