FREE period products should be available in all schools and women must be better represented in front-line politics, a youth group urged today.

Girlguiding has launched 10 requests for the next government, including a requirement for influencers and advertisers to be honest about their use of artificial intelligence and filtering online.

Last year’s annual survey by the organisation showed that girls’ happiness had fallen to its lowest level in 15 years.

Among the issues raised were concerns about appearance, with more than two-thirds of 11 to 21-year-olds saying that they sometimes feel ashamed of how they look because they are not like girls and women they see in the media and online.

Girlguiding said the next government must “require advertisers, brands and influencers to make it clear when images have been filtered, edited or created by software or artificial intelligence.”

The organisation’s other requests include the appointment of a secretary of state for women and equalities and for half of those on parliamentary front benches to be women.

A Department for Education spokesperson said its period product scheme, which runs until July, provides items for girls and women in their place of study.