00:02Adelaide social worker Kate Sherlock often hears from clients who can't afford period products.
00:08Hearing that they've needed to go into Coles, Woolies and Steel products for their month and that's a reoccurring thing.
00:18It's affecting communities across the state.
00:20This is a massive issue and it's an accessibility one.
00:24We've got to get it right because women people, you know, 40 years of their life they'll have a period.
00:31The ABC heard from five government workers, including teachers, who have witnessed period poverty first hand.
00:38Three spoke under the condition of anonymity.
00:41A lot of homeless women tell me they use non-sanitary items such as socks rather than pads and tampons
00:47due to the cost.
00:48Young girls' families are struggling to pay for such expensive products.
00:52My site do purchase supplies from our wellbeing budget so teachers don't feel they have to.
00:57The only three states that are failing are South Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory.
01:04Data from Share the Dignity found 66% of menstruating South Australians at some point struggled to afford period products.
01:12Former Upper House MP Connie Banaras tried to legislate free period products in public spaces, including in schools last year,
01:20but was turned down.
01:22It's something she still wants to see so people can access products like these with ease.
01:28If we're going to get real about ensuring universal access in South Australia, then we need to follow the lead
01:36of those other jurisdictions and that involves enshrining this in our legislation.
01:40The state government says it provides period products to 500 public schools, but didn't address questions about expanding the scheme
01:48to public spaces.
01:49Yes, that's true.
01:51Availableunft. Going to the Chamber of Chapel.ова
