New legislation
From 1 January 2026, primary and secondary schools in the Czech Republic will be obliged to provide menstrual supplies – free of charge. The new obligation is stipulated by an amendment to the Education Act and related hygiene decrees. The aim is to ensure dignified conditions for all pupils and to remove barriers to education.
The obligation applies to all schools registered in the register of schools and educational establishments, including private and religious schools. Girls will therefore have access to pads or tampons directly in the ladies’ toilets or other accessible areas. The specific conditions will be set out in the methodology of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, which foresees that the aids will be available discreetly and free of charge.
The change is welcomed by equal opportunities experts and by the management of many schools, which have already introduced a similar approach on their own initiative. According to available data, about one in ten girls has avoided education at some point due to the unavailability of sanitary aids. The new rule is intended to help prevent stigmatisation and at the same time help improve sanitation in education. The Ministry of Education will make funds available for the purchase of the aids and will also provide schools with recommendations on how to handle the distribution in practice.
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