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Free menstrual products – project “PERIOD.”

Locations

As part of a one-year pilot phase, four locations were started in the summer semester 2022 (2x Lahntal, 2x Lahnberge). Tampons and pads in the "standard" size are available in the dispensers. The pilot was jointly financed by the AStA and the Equal Opportunities Office and the refilling was done by volunteers at the locations themselves.
In February 2023, after the pilot phase was completed, a further location was added at the Equal Opportunities Office. Financing and procurement are now carried out by the Equal Opportunities Office.

Lahnberge location:

- Department 15 Chemistry, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 4, E -102, entry to women’s restroom on the right (-1/5930)
- Department 17 Biology, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, Level 1, North Foyer, women’s restroom, Room 1023

Lahntal location:

- University Library, Deutschhausstr. 9, women’s restroom Room 00/3170
- Department 01 – School of Law, Universitätsstr. 6, Savigny-Haus, ground floor, vestibule to the library
- Bahnhofstr. 7, Large toilet facilities on the ground floor

In addition, another dispenser is mounted opposite the lecture hall building in the Erwin-Piscator-Haus (Stadthalle) on the ground floor (women’s restroom). This has been made available to the public by the City of Marburg.

We are fundamentally striving to ensure that the dispensers are not mounted exclusively inside women’s restrooms but can also be found in more accessible places.

Background to this project

The topic of menstruation is largely invisible, and talking about it is often fraught with considerable shame, even today. Although menstruation is an involuntary part of many people’s lives, menstrual products such as pads, tampons or menstrual cups are rarely available in public or at work.

In addition, more and more European studies in recent years have shown that many people are unable to adequately equip themselves with menstrual products – in some cases this even applies to the university context. Reasons for this are mostly due to one’s personal financial situation and/or a lack of access to these products. This “period poverty” is additionally overshadowed by the social taboo surrounding the topic of menstruation, which does not make it any easier to ask for a tampon or sanitary pad in an emergency situation. We are therefore convinced that menstrual products are as much a part of daily life as soap and paper products.

Free access to menstrual products enables more participation, leading to a more work- and study-friendly atmosphere where students and employees can better concentrate on their studies or work. And last but not least, we want to use free hygiene products to make menstruation visible as a topic and contribute to its social normalization and “de-tabooization.”

The "PERIOD." project began in 2022 and goes back to an initiative of the AStA Gender Policy Department with the support of the Student Parliament. In February 2022, it was launched together with the Vice President for Equal Opportunities and Gender Equality Office, initially as a pilot project. As one of the first universities in Germany, Philipps-Universität has now made the offer permanent.

Project Evaluation - Summary

During the trial year, feedback on the project could be given via an Ilias survey. The survey was advertised once via the distribution list of all students. Of the total of 1,118 participants, 69% were aware of the offer and over 90% (N = 1020) stated that they felt the provision of the products was positive and that it should be expanded. Only 3% of respondents (N = 30) said that they considered menstruation a private matter and that there was no need for donors.
The main reasons given for donors were that it is a commodity (33%; N = 971), that the offer contributes to the removal of taboos (25%; N = 738) and that universities should take on a special pioneering role here (23%; N = 676). The decentralised location of many university locations was also a frequent, but not quite as decisive argument (15%; N = 439).
Critical comments, which were submitted via free text, related mainly to possible exploitation by individuals, too few locations, a lack of signposts and possible financing of the project via the semester contribution (a question on the willingness to support the project could not be evaluated because it was accidentally marked as a mandatory answer and therefore no rejection of the project was possible).
All in all, the response to the survey showed overwhelming support for the project and gave important indications of additional locations and needs for action.
It was also clear from some of the quotes that the donors have already been able to provide relief in some emergency situations.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to all those who took part in the survey - whether in favour or against!!!!

What’s next?

Based on the survey, further locations were identified where there is a need for additional donors, including, for example, the lecture hall buildings, the sports facilities, the Phil-Fak and the ZMB. The Women's and Equal Opportunities Officers will continue to work towards successively expanding the number of donors.

Ecological alternatives

As a final note, we would like to take up the topic of ecological alternatives to disposable products. In the PERIOD. survey, too, reference was made in some places to more ecologically sustainable products.
The PERIOD. dispensers are not intended to and cannot currently serve the purpose of meeting everyone's everyday need for menstrual hygiene products. Regardless of which products the users prefer in principle, they are intended primarily as a supplement when stocks or money run low or there is an unforeseen need.
Menstrual cups, sponges or period underwear are clearly more sustainable alternatives whose use we very much support, but their provision cannot be implemented within the framework of PERIOD.

The extent to which certified organic tampons or sanitary pads can be used is regularly reviewed when products are procured.