SOUTH Side community workers are helping to support local women by handing out free period products.

Southside Women Roar, a project created by Crossroads Youth & Community Association, has been handing out free pads and tampons to women in Govanhill and the Gorbals after public buildings containing free-to-use items were shut due to the pandemic.

Community support workers Katy Smillie and Hannah Graham, with help from their colleague Fiona Ballantyne, have been taking their trolley in and around the area.

Katy said: "As an organisation, we work around giving a voice to the voiceless, and women are often, especially during the pandemic, in the most unequal positions.

"The free period products is a way for us to help out during the pandemic when we can't reach and support people in traditional ways, and when they don't have access to public buildings."

Glasgow Times:

Since November 2020, local authorities have been required by law to supply free period products to "anyone who needs them" after a bill, introduced by Labour MSP Monica Lennon, was passed in the Scottish Government.

The requirement made Scotland the first country in the world to supply people who need support with period poverty with free items in places such as in places such as chemists, schools, colleges and doctor's surgeries.

However, after Covid-19 shut down many public buildings to the general public and restrictions cut down the amount of people allowed in public places, many have found themselves unable to access free period products.

Hannah said: "We decided to go around with the trolley just filled with pads and tampons so that people can take them whenever they need them.

"We even got the glitter out and decorated the trolley with a sign explaining what we are doing too, which generates a lot of conversations."

The girls say that conversations have been generated with not only women in the area, but also with men.

Katy said: "One of the main points of the trolley is to breakdown these uncomfortable conversations.

"We've had women speak to us about their inability to access period products at home depending on their situation, but we've also spoken to men who have maybe thought of it as an awkward thing to speak about before.

"They might be dads who want to understand a bit more because they have daughters, or maybe they don't understand what period poverty is.

"That is really important to us because periods aren't something that women and girls should be ashamed about. It's about time we spoke about women's issues."

Southside Women Roar are able to provide the free period products with support from homelessness service provider, Simon Community.

Katy said: "The Simon Community have been really, really great in helping us to do this, we can't thank them enough.

"They have supplied us with the pads and tampons that we give out to people."

Hannah said: "The trolley has been really popular every time we go out, and Simon Community has been great in keeping us supplied.

"Sometimes we leave the office and before we get to Queen's Park, most of the stuff is gone, which is great but really shows how much people are needing support.

Katy said: "We want South Side women to know that we are here for support and we would love them to get involved with us."

For mor einformation on Southside Women Roar, you can follow them on Instagram at @crossroads_sswr and find out more at the Crossroads website.