KOR
▲ Public sanitary pads provided at 12 public facilities nationwide
A pilot project to provide public sanitary pads will begin in earnest starting next week.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced today (July 2) that it will launch the public sanitary pad support service on the 6th in 12 regions, including Gwangjin-gu and Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul, Gwangmyeong and Suwon in Gyeonggi Province, Seocheon-gun in South Chungcheong Province, Jung-gu in Daejeon, Jeongeup in North Jeolla Province, Mokpo in South Jeolla Province, Buk-gu in Gwangju, Gumi in North Gyeongsang Province, Geochang-gun in South Gyeongsang Province, and Jeju City in Jeju Province.
Dispensers for public sanitary pads will be installed mainly in about 500 public facilities frequently used by citizens, such as community service centers, public libraries, youth facilities, and airports.
Signs stating "Facility where public sanitary pads are available" will be posted at the entrances of facilities where the dispensers are installed.
A total of 700 dispensers will be installed, consisting of 300 manual and 400 automatic units, and their detailed locations will be disclosed on the websites of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and local governments.
Automatic dispensers are equipped with Internet of Things (IoT) technology, which allows for real-time monitoring of stock and distribution levels. However, manual dispensers will also be installed in places where space is limited or electricity access is difficult.
The dispensers will be stocked with medium-sized sanitary pads in packs of two, labeled "Public Sanitary Pad" or "Sanitary Pad for Everyone" on the packaging.
The manual units will hold 18 packs, while the automatic units will hold 170 packs.
A total of 6.5 million packs of sanitary pads will be provided during the pilot project period, with the distribution scale determined based on the assumption that one woman uses one pack per month.
To prevent potential misuse, such as the resale of public sanitary pads, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is requesting that online second-hand trading platforms designate them as prohibited items. Additionally, the automatic dispensers have been designed with a 20-second waiting period for reuse.
An official from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated, "Just as toilet paper has become a basic living convenience service in public restrooms, there is a need for sanitary pads to also become a service that can be naturally accessed in public facilities when needed."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
