Women under 26 and low-income residents in France will get free reusable period products at pharmacies starting on Thursday under a new state-backed scheme.
The coverage applies to reusable menstrual underwear and menstrual cups distributed by French pharmacies, with costs fully reimbursed by Social Security and mutual health insurance providers.
The initiative targets period poverty across the country, where more than one in ten women are currently forced to rely on makeshift solutions because they cannot afford proper hygiene items. Around 6.7 million people in France qualify for the scheme, which covers all women under 26 as well as beneficiaries of the Complementary Solidarity Health Insurance scheme.
Social Security is France's national health insurance system, while Complementary Solidarity Health Insurance is a state benefit designed to assist low-income residents with medical expenses. To collect the products without paying anything out of pocket, eligible individuals must present their Vitale health card and mutual insurance certificate at a pharmacy. Reimbursements are limited to two items per person each year.
Strict standards for reimbursed items
Strict rules published in the Official Journal set out the technical criteria for all eligible products. Reusable menstrual panties must contain at least three separate layers, hold a minimum absorption volume of 20 millilitres, and remain effective through at least 52 washes at 30 degrees Celsius.
Manufacturers are also required to supply the underwear in at least eight different sizes. Retail prices in pharmacies are capped at 14.40 euros before tax, which amounts to 19 euros including tax.
Challenge for French manufacturers
The rollout presents a significant logistical challenge for domestic manufacturers competing against low-cost imports from Asia. In the Gard department of southern France, the Eminence group factory in Sauve, which partners with the underwear brand Elia, has scaled up its operations dramatically to produce 2,000 panties per day, up from its usual monthly output of 2,000.
Co-founder Marion Goilav and site director Kader Lasla welcomed the policy as a historic social advancement. However, they warned that the minimal standards set in the official specifications are too low, which they said could put French domestic manufacturers at a disadvantage against cheaper foreign competition.
