The rights of rural area students and women have always been a focus of Tainan City Government. Joining hands with private businesses, the government rolled out the first Luna Period Project pilot run in Taiwan: between September and November, free sanitary pads will be provided to 692 female students in 17 rural schools.
Mayor Huang Wei-che expressed that although he is a biological male who does not menstruate and has no experience in menstrual discomfort, he still hopes to help lessen the inconvenience that menstruating individuals have to experience every month. Thus relevant government agencies collaborated with private businesses and the NGO Little Red Hood to bring this project to students in rural schools.
Ms. Liu Yu-jing, the wife of Mayor Huang Wei-che, said that she hopes more people can understand the inconveniences menstruating individuals face during their periods. She wishes that by exposing students to the concept of gender equality on campuses, they will gradually transform Tainan into a gender-friendly livable city.
Wang Kun-yuan, Deputy Director-general of the Bureau of Education, remarked that the Bureau has long been promoting policies to take care of students in rural areas and on-campus gender equality education. The measures are implemented in response to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and to realize CEDAW (Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women). The Bureau of Education also includes relevant topics concerning the changes of the body during puberty into lectures and courses to raise the students' awareness of gender equality and build a friendly campus environment.