In a survey conducted by Plan International Australia in April earlier this year, 64% of menstruating Gen Z respondents admitted to finding it more difficult to pay for menstrual products in 2022 than in previous years. Socks and rags are used in place of menstrual products as the cost of living crisis deepens.
The survey also revealed that one in five change their single-use products less often than recommended due to its rising cost — increasing their risk of complications, such as toxic shock syndrome and reproductive issues. With the high upfront costs of reusable menstrual cups or period underwear, access to sustainable and cost-effective solutions is barred for many. This cost is greater in remote areas — a woman in Coolgardie, Western Australia was fined $500 in 2015 for stealing a $6.75 box of tampons.
The USyd campus, though sparsely populated, has locations that carry free pads and tampons, funded through a mixture of the University of Sydney Union, the Student Representative Council, and various clubs and societies. Though these are monumental recent implementations, there is still much left to do.
Honi Soit conducted a survey among USyd students, sharing QR codes on the back of toilet doors and advertising on social media. The survey garnered 142 responses, and found that 38% of respondents believe menstrual products on campus are inaccessible or unaffordable at all times, and 50% believed them to be affordable or accessible only half the time. USU-run convenience stores at JFR and Footbridge stock packs of pads that range in price from $7 to $12, — expensive when compared to pads from supermarket stores in Broadway, ten minutes down the road, starting from around $2 a pack.
Despite the fact that free products are available in USU buildings (Wentworth, Holme and Manning), 43.7% are unaware that the USU provides these products, and 88.7% of respondents were unaware that FoodHub also supplies period products. The viability of acquiring period products from Foodhub raises questions with the introduction of their ticketing system requiring students to register 48 hours in advance. Respondents added that the products that are currently provided by the USU or other faculty buildings are “unhygienic” “often out of stock,” and have poor “rollout” and “promotion”. Despite being inadequately available, 97.2% of respondents believe the University should provide free period products to all students.
In Scotland, the Period Products Act (2021) legislates that period products be free of charge, including in schools, colleges, and universities, making it the world’s first country to allow access to menstrual products for all. Earlier this year, the NSW State Government introduced the Menstrual Hygiene Program in public schools which allows students to access free sanitary hygiene products such as pads, tampons, and period underwear. Products will be distributed through installed dispensers or provided on an order basis by the school. It is essential that a similar initiative be adopted in higher education settings and across Australia.
USyd SRC President Lia Perkins commented: “Students should be supported in their studies, and a large number of students struggle in class because of the burden of menstruating.”
“It would be simple for the University to follow suit from NSW Public schools and provide free period products throughout all campus bathrooms.”
A recurring pattern of severe unavailability and underfunding towards menstrual equity is prevalent across different universities in New South Wales. This inequity is made more stark by the record-breaking surpluses these institutions record each year. However, due to students’ bargaining and advocacy power, campuses are slowly transforming to provide more menstrual support.
Kimmie Nguyen, Western Sydney University’s (WSU) Women’s Collective Engagement Officer, said in a statement to Honi that WSU “proudly fights period poverty by providing free menstrual products (pads and tampons) on every campus. Additionally, every campus has at least one restroom with a (free) period product dispenser.”
After a trial of free products on WSU’s Parramatta campus, the initiative expanded to all WSU campuses in May this year. The project was led by Dr Sarah Duffy and Dr Michelle O’Shea, and is funded through WSU’s Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Western Sydney University, out of all the universities contacted, is the only one that actively campaigns to target period poverty on their campuses. On the other end of the spectrum, the University of Newcastle’s 50-acre campus hosts a single Share the Dignity vending machine in our library as told to Honi by their media office.
A similar campus-wide initiative is currently in the works at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
UTS Women’s Officer Aylin Cihan commented that “The UTS Students Association (UTSSA), alongside the Women’s Collective, is currently working with UTS in introducing free hygiene products across campus by installing dispensers in selected bathrooms that offer pads and tampons.
“This new initiative will begin sometime soon this semester and will run as a trial process to test its effectiveness and account for any bottlenecks. We have hopes in extending the initiative and placing dispensers in most of the bathrooms on campus.”
Before this, free products were limited to the women’s space on campus which “did face a few challenges in itself considering not all students were aware of our services and the funds available to the Women’s Collective is limited to an extent that could not possibly supply these products to all students on campus year round.”
At Macquarie University, the Women’s Collective “stock pads, tampons (both applicator and non-applicator) as well as nappies in [their] Women’s Room,” explained Hemisha Lal, MQU’s Director of Community Partnerships.
“We receive all our products directly from university bodies and highly encourage all students to freely take what they need. In order to access these products, there is no requirement to be a member of the Women’s Collective. Our Women’s Room is centrally located on campus, however, we do acknowledge that since Macquarie holds quite a large campus. It can take 5-10 minutes to walk from one side of the campus to the other. “
Despite MQU’s WoCo freely providing products in the Women’s Room, “the widespread knowledge of the Women’s Room, what it provides, and how to get there can be improved with greater promotion made directly by Macquarie University. Macquarie University does not consistently stock pads/tampons in its bathrooms … [or] provide a vending machine of such products throughout campus for students to purchase.”
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Honi Soit’s menstrual survey found that an alarming 64.1% of USyd students admitted to having missed classes due to their period, and 94.4% of respondents experienced an inability to focus in class even when attending. Some respondents added they feel uncomfortable disclosing menstruation-related absences to their tutors, often opting for “vagueness” or not explaining at all, with a respondent commenting “my very old male lecturer asked whether I was sure I couldn’t hold out like my other colleagues”.
Sydney Colussi, a co-convenor of the University of Sydney Body@Work Project and a PhD candidate researching law and policy reform in the field of reproductive health and work, commented that “It’s critical that university policies and infrastructure can support the menstrual health needs of students and staff on campus. We’ve seen progress in this space recently, for example, the government roll-out of free menstrual products in NSW public schools, but it’s also important to consider how menstruation can affect the experiences of students in higher education.
“If university students are missing classes due to their period or are unable to access or afford menstrual products on campus, this is concerning from both a health and wellbeing and equality perspective. It’s time to dispel menstrual stigma, and one way to do that is to make sure our schools, universities and workplaces are not inadvertently penalising people for menstruating.”
First introduced in Japan in 1947, menstrual leave could solve the discomfort and pain of menstruation. Conversations surrounding menstrual leave for students are much further behind — this year marked the first time menstrual leave for students has been legislated, with the southern Indian state of Kerala setting a strong precedence. In Honi’s survey, 93% of respondents supported menstrual leave for staff, and 97.2% supported menstrual leave for students.
In 2000, the USyd SRC’s enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) included a clause under sick leave that allowed staff members one day off per month for menstrual stress. In 2003, this clause was absorbed into the overall sick leave entitlements.
SRC Caseworker Melissa de Silva explained “The menstrual stress leave was suggested by one of the Presidents[…], and was for 10 days a year, and my memory was that it would only be accessible after you had exceeded your sick leave. It wasn’t particularly well titled I think, as it wasn’t for menstruation, or stress, or PMS, or anything like that. It was for endometriosis — so quite severe impact of menstruation. At the time that it was introduced we did not have the amount of sick leave that we do now, so it was quite relevant/important at that time.
“Around 2003/4 the bosses asked to remove it from the agreement and we said we were not willing to do that, as reducing the amount of leave available was a reduction in conditions and the union would not allow that. So instead we changed the wording so that the leave would be accessible for serious illness, not just endo. The discussions at the time included lots of factors, including who it left out, including anyone (not just men) who did not experience endo; what alternatives were available to staff who experienced serious ongoing illness; and suitable adjustments for staff.” The rising cost of living continues to deepen period poverty in broader Australia, yet little is being done to combat the stress of menstruation. Progress is slow, especially considering the tampon tax was only eradicated in 2019 after years of campaigning, but advocates across universities are fighting for support that should be freely distributed and made available.