An amazing initiative.
Dublin City University and DCU Students’ Union have joined together to tackle period poverty by providing free period products to all students.
The products will be available in the ground floor female and gender neutral bathrooms of DCU Glasnevin and DCU St. Patrick’s Campus.
They can also be found at the Students’ Union and DCU Health Centre directly. For students who cannot access products on campus, a postal service has been set up.
As well as this, reusable period products will be made available to any students who may be experiencing financial difficulties.
Speaking on the initiative, Dr. Claire Bohan, Director of DCU Student Support and Development said:
“Our mission in DCU is to transform lives and society. No student should ever have to worry about access to basic necessities.
“By providing this service, we are taking one more concern out of their lives and are helping those students who need this service focus on the things that matter most at University – learning, building lifelong friendships and developing themselves to their fullest potential.
“Today, with the launch of these services, we hope no student ever has to worry about their period again. That certainly will transform their lives.”
DCU and @DCUSU have joined to provide free period products to students on-campus and off. The initiative will see period products freely available to students in all ground floor women’s bathrooms and within gender neutral bathrooms on campus. Read here:https://t.co/Rg7ORyhbYk pic.twitter.com/fXhEvhkIjY
— Dublin City University (@DCU) October 27, 2021
“This is an initiative that students want and that students need,” said DCU Students’ Union Vice-President for Wellbeing, Dean O’Reilly.
“General distribution of these products through discrete and public locations brings us closer to our ultimate goal of dismantling period poverty and stigma.
“Our postal service ensures that all students, including many of our students on placement and those with health and accessibility concerns, have access to the products they need.”
The Vice-President for Wellbeing went on to highlight how widespread governmental support for public access to free period products is urgently needed.
“We need to see these products in secondary schools, in further and higher education, in government buildings, in public libraries – all over the country.
“DCU SU hopes to see progressive movement in this area to ensure that period products become as commonplace as hand sanitiser, soap, and toilet paper.”
