Period poverty in South Australia drives women to socks and stolen tampons

Period poverty in South Australia is forcing women and girls to use socks as sanitary pads, wear tampons for over two days, and steal products from supermarkets, according to social workers and teachers. An Adelaide-based social worker, Cate Sherlock, described the struggle as invisible, noting users face stigma and shame over hygiene when they cannot afford multiple products daily. A 2024 survey found 66 percent of South Australians who menstruate have struggled to afford period products at some point. Not-for-profit Share the Dignity identified South Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory as failing on this issue, while other states provide free products in schools and public spaces. A proposed bill modeled on the ACT's legislation did not pass, though the state government currently funds products for over 500 public schools.