Free Menstrual Products at Campus Jülich
FH Aachen is offering free menstrual products at the Jülich site in the Winter Semester 2023/24. The offer is part of a six-month pilot project and is being implemented by the AStA of FH Aachen in cooperation with the Vice Rectorate for Diversity and Equity of Opportunity. The Faculty Student Council Jülich is supporting the project by filling the dispensers. The Rectorate has also spoken out in favour of the project and is covering the costs of the pilot phase.
Survey for Students and Employees
A survey will be conducted to get the opinions of students and employees regarding the pilot project, to improve the service and assess the demand for menstrual products. After the pilot phase has been completed, the results will be used to evaluate whether the offer has been positively received and will be further promoted.
Participation in the survey is therefore very important for a possible continuation of the project and can also be answered by people who do not menstruate.
The survey takes about five minutes to complete. The answers will be anonymised.
Project Background
The offer of free menstrual products is primarily intended to provide mental relief for students and be available for emergencies. The fear of being surprised by your period and not having any hygiene products on hand can disrupt everyday university life. For students affected by period poverty, the offer should also help to ease the financial burden. In a survey conducted by Plan International, 23 per cent of women stated that the monthly expenditure on menstrual products was a financial burden for them. The availability of free sanitary products in public buildings was desired by 80 per cent of the women surveyed. (Source: www.plan.de/menstruation-im-fokus.html)
The offer is also meant to break the taboo surrounding the topic of menstruation and reduce feelings of shame.
FAQ
Which Products are Available?
The dispensers contain tampons and sanitary towels. Both products are available in a medium size.
The products are made from 100 per cent organic cotton. This means that no pesticides were used during cultivation and no chlorine bleach was used during processing. The tampons and pads are also free from fragrances, colourants and microplastics. The organic products offer the same comfort and absorbency as conventional menstrual products.
The individual packaging of the products is made from corn starch, so that plastic waste is avoided and both the packaging and the tampons and pads are biodegradable and compostable.
The products are sourced from MYLILY, a start-up from Hamburg that is already cooperating with other universities to provide free menstrual products.
What Happens if a Dispenser No Longer Contains Any Products?
In an emergency situation, you can go to one of the other toilet facilities equipped with a dispenser. The locations of the dispensers can be found in the respective section on this page.
To ensure a quick refill, please contact the Faculty Student Council Jülich by email or in person and state the room number of the toilet room in question.
Faculty Student Council Jülich (Fachschaftsrat Jülich)
Room 00A04/05
Phone. TBA
What is Period Poverty?
Period poverty affects people who do not have sufficient financial resources to buy the menstrual products they need each month.
This mainly includes young people and those who are below the poverty line. Students are more likely to fall into both of these groups. The Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt) reported that 37.9% of students were at risk of poverty in 2021 (source: www.destatis.de)
The offer of free menstrual products is intended to provide financial relief for the group of students affected by period poverty.