#PeriodPride | Game Changer
As a Union, we're committed to helping students grow not just academically, but to highlight aspects of society that can be changed or improved for the better. For example, with this Game Changer, we're looking at the financial, social and physical impact period poverty can have on students at Staffordshire University.
Following our work for the past two years, providing students access to free sanitary products in all of our facilities and venues and selling these products in our shops for no-profit, we're ecstatic to hear the University are now looking into providing them for free across the entire campus.
This is a massive student-led win for a #BetterStaffs!
#PeriodPride aims to:
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Educate: Raise awareness of the financial, social and physical impacts period poverty.
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Empower: Break down the stigma around periods and normalise talk around menstrual health.
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Enable: Reduce the barriers to accessing safe and quality sanitary products.
The Report
Vice President Tuesday Forrest has written a full report on the effects of period poverty, which you can read
here.
Highlight figures include:
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On average, it costs the current population of students affected at Staffs between £250k and £315k to have periods over the course of a 3 year degree.
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External research indicates an estimate of as many as 49% of learners missing an entire day of education because of their period.
What we're doing about it
Information: We're in the stages of developing campaign materials to inform students around the impacts of period poverty and destigmatising talking about and looking after your menstrual health.
Help yourself: A trial of "help yourself" to sanitary products boxes have been provided in the SU office and Ember Lounge toilets.
Cost price: The Students' Union shops currently sell their sanitary products at cost price (brand name items).
Doctor vouchers: We're working with the on-campus doctor's service to work out a system of providing free sanitary items for those that need them.
Donations: We'll be collecting sanitary product items throughout the year to redistribute to students including at our Flashback Friday club nights in exchange for entry.