Free menstrual pad dispensers installed across University of Tartu
Free pads are now available at University of Tartu (TÜ) buildings across the city, with 39 dispensers installed to make menstrual products easier to access when needed.
The initiative was launched this academic year after the university's Faculty of Science and Technology student council raised concerns about access to menstrual products. The dispensers are located in academic buildings across Tartu and are regularly restocked by cleaning staff, the university said Tuesday.
Research suggests that easier access to menstrual products can support students' well-being and participation in school.
A 2024 TÜ bachelor's thesis, based on 2022 data from more than 1,000 students at 19 schools across Estonia, found that 64 percent of students had missed school, practices or other activities due to menstruation, 26 percent had difficulties obtaining menstrual products and 73 percent had used alternatives when such products were unavailable.
Nearly all respondents, or 94 percent, said menstrual pads should be available for free at Estonian schools.
TÜ equality officer Eveliis Padar said these findings show that practical menstruation-related barriers affect a considerable number of learners.
The new initiative will help make menstruation less of an obstacle to participating in university life, Padar noted, supporting a learning and working environment at TÜ "where menstrual pads are regarded as an everyday necessity, just like toilet paper, soap or hand dryers."
No more leaving mid-class
Astrid Jõerand, a student under the Faculty of Science and Technology and one of the leaders of the initiative, said the basic premise is simple: menstruation should not interfere with anyone attending university.
"Students shouldn't have to panic when they get their period unexpectedly, or worry about where they can quickly find a pad," Jõerand said.
Having pads available in university bathrooms, she added, means more students can get what they need and return to class rather than having to leave or go home.
Jõerand also welcomed the fact that a student council proposal was accepted and turned into positive change at the university.
"Sometimes a small and practical change like this can make someone's school day considerably easier," she said.
The dispensers are installed at more than a dozen university buildings, stocked with thin menstrual pads with flexible wings for regular flow.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
