Northern Irish public invited to voice their views on government plan to hand free tampons to people 'irrespective of their gender identity'

It comes after a law was passed last year endorsing the idea, which is the brainchild of SDLP MLA Pat Catney.

The main intention is to make them available in schools and colleges to combat “period poverty”, meaning people who struggle to afford the products (which currently retail at £1.05 for a box of 24 in Tesco, or 4p each).

Initially, back in 2021, the News Letter reported that the draft law had avoided any mention of women, girls, or females, with Mr Catney saying this is because some males also menstruate.

This is in keeping with the ideas of transgender activists, who say that gender is “fluid”: you could have a female body but really be a man, or be biologically male but really be part of a new gender category like “two-spirit”.

Then when it came to publishing the final bill, the SDLP had a change of heart and added a single line mentioning females to the text (“a person who needs to use period products means a person who menstruates, whether that person is a woman, girl or other person”).

The consultation which has just opened asks people:

a) How they ought to be able to obtain period products free of charge; b) Where period products ought to be obtainable free of charge; and c) What types of period products ought to be obtainable free of charge.

The accompanying equality impact assessment documents state that the “provision of free period products will have a positive impact on citizens, irrespective of their gender identity”.

The consultation opened on June 26 and shuts at midnight on September 18.

You can respond here: shorturl.at/cjruQ

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