Starting next month, in 12 regions nationwide, including the Gwangjin·Eunpyeong Districts of Seoul and the Gwangmyeong·Suwon cities of Gyeonggi Province, anyone in need, regardless of income or age, will be able to use free sanitary pads at public facilities. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced on the 9th that it will launch a pilot public sanitary pad support program, ‘Pads for All’.

The ministry said it selected 12 basic local governments nationwide as pilot areas for the public sanitary pad support program and confirmed the public pad brand name as ‘Pads for All’. The pilot areas are Gwangjin-gu·Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul; Gwangmyeong-si·Suwon-si in Gyeonggi; Seocheon-gun in South Chungcheong; Jung-gu in Daejeon; Jeongeup-si in North Jeolla; Mokpo-si in South Jeolla; Buk-gu in Gwangju; Gumi-si in North Gyeongsang; Geochang-gun in South Gyeongsang; and Jeju-si in Jeju.

Earlier, President Lee Jae Myung, at a Cabinet meeting in January, pointed out the high prices of sanitary pads in the domestic market and instructed, “(The government should) consider contract manufacturing sanitary pads and supplying them free of charge to certain groups.” In response, the ministry has been pursuing a public sanitary pad support project as a universal welfare policy that is not tied to income levels.

The government currently provides a monthly sanitary product voucher worth 14,000 KRW to vulnerable female adolescents aged 9 to 24. While maintaining the existing program, the new initiative will allow anyone in need, without income or age limits, to use sanitary pads placed in public facilities such as community service centers, libraries, public health centers, and family centers free of charge. Dispensers will also be installed in locations with heavy foot traffic, such as near transit hubs·commercial facilities, near university districts, and at facilities within industrial complexes.

Across the 12 pilot regions, a total of over 700 sanitary pad dispensers will be installed, including more than 300 manual units and more than 400 Internet of Things (IoT)-based automatic units. The automatic dispensers have inventory management and voice guidance functions, and to prevent excessive use, the interval between button uses has been set at up to 20 seconds. Pads will be provided in small packs, with two medium-size pads per pack.

The pilot project has a total budget of 3.2 billion KRW, which this year is funded entirely by the national government. The government plans to analyze usage records, policy effectiveness, and on-site satisfaction to consider whether to expand it nationwide starting next year. Won Min-kyung, Minister of Gender Equality, said, “The introduction of ‘Pads for All’ is a first step toward creating an environment where anyone can feel at ease using sanitary pads when needed,” adding, “It is expected to help ease the burden of pad prices and enhance the public right to health.”