Elinor Snowsill, an international rugby player, has warned that the lack of period facilities prevents women from participating in sports. She claims that throughout her career, access to trash cans, restrooms, and toilet paper has been sporadic, and that the lack of these facilities is a result of grassroots and women’s sports being regarded as having a lower priority.
By 2025, the Welsh government will invest £24 million in the development of sports facilities. This comes after 8% of Welsh schoolgirls surveyed by Sport Wales said they would participate in more sports if their periods were better managed. Elinor Snowsill revealed that she has been unprepared for her period during the early stages of her career due to a lack of suitable facilities.
Dr. Natalie Brown, a researcher at Swansea University who studies the menstrual cycle in sport, highlighted the potential health risks associated with inadequate period facilities. She stated, “In actuality, it prevents girls and women from participating in this sport. Due to the fear of leaking, the inability to manage their period, or the lack of access to sanitary bins.” She added that this is frequently a matter of funding, with grassroots clubs relying more on self-funding.
Nel Huws, 23, of the Clwb Pêl-droed y Felinheli football club, said, “Sometimes it doesn’t even occur to me that there are no facilities, because you become so accustomed to their absence.” Llio Emyr, a fellow player, added, “Obviously, the majority of the facilities were designed for men in the beginning.”
The assistant director of Sport Wales, Owen Hathaway, stated that improved facilities would help women feel included in the sports sector. The WRU added that it was eager to eliminate any barriers to female rugby participation.
The Welsh government stated, “Since 2018, we have invested approximately £12 million to ensure that children, teenagers, and those with low incomes have access to free period products, as well as committing £24 million in capital funding to Sport Wales over the next three years to develop facilities across Wales.”
Elinor Snowsill, an international rugby player, has highlighted a serious issue that prevents women from participating in sports: a lack of period facilities. The lack of access to trash cans, restrooms, and toilet paper, according to her, is a result of grassroots and women’s sport being given a lower priority than male sport. The Welsh government is addressing this issue by investing £24 million in the development of sport facilities by 2025.
Experts have cautioned against the potential health risks associated with inadequate period facilities. Dr. Natalie Brown remarked: “In actuality, it prevents girls and women from participating in this sport. Due to the fear of leaking, the inability to manage their period, or the lack of access to sanitary bins.” Nel Huws added, “It significantly affects your ability to play.” In the meantime, Owen Hathaway stated that improved facilities would help women feel included in the sports industry.
The Welsh government has committed to providing free period products to children, adolescents, and those with low incomes. It is hoped that this will aid in addressing the problem of a lack of period facilities for female athletes and encourage more women to participate in sports.
