Free period products to be available in NI universities
A 12-month pilot scheme has been announced by the Economy Minister
Last updated 12th May 2021
Free sanitary products will be offered to university student across Northern Ireland.
The Department for the Economy has announced a 12-month pilot scheme will run from September this year for students who attend: Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast, Stranmillis University College and St Marys’ University College.
Suzi the founder of Equality Period in Larne has welcomed the news.
She said: “The news is fantastic! Any institution, business or organisation that provides free accessible period products for everyone who needs them is a great move and it’s a fantastic move for Northern Ireland because it brings us another step closer to being on equal footing with the period equity in Scotland.
“It will enable gaps to be identified and areas within particular universities where the scheme is having the most impact.
“We would love to see perhaps a longer pilot scheme and a longer commitment, but we do hope this will be continued after the 12 months.
“Equality period has supported a number of university students throughout lockdown over the last year with emergency care packages containing period products and hygiene items as they were struggling to access or afford them due to being on furlough or a drop in income or being in isolation.”
It follows a similar pilot announced by the Education Minister, Peter Weir, last year.
In December 2021 the Executive approved the DUP members proposal to have free period products provided in primary and secondary schools.
Until then NI was the only part of the UK that did not have a budget or scheme in place for these items.
The Economy Minister, Diane Dodds, said the move aims to “tackle the issue of period poverty.”
She said: “A survey by Plan International UK found that one in 10 young women aged between 14 and 21 in the UK cannot afford to buy sanitary products and one in seven struggled to afford them. These figures are very concerning.
“This issue has the potential to seriously impact on students in higher education. Preventing attendance at classes, work placements, and even examinations could seriously hamper an individual’s chances of successful completion of their course.
“The negative impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the local economy has also disproportionately impacted on the types of jobs that students tend to work in while studying, thereby creating an even higher risk of period poverty.
“This is further amplified by the fact that students who would have been reliant on products being made available by schools, colleges and universities will have lost this access during the past year due to institutional closures.
“I am pleased to announce this pilot and know it will benefit many higher education students.”
Free period products are already provided in the majority of campuses across NI’s six further education colleges.
Read More:
Education Minister to seek Executive approval for free period products in NI schools
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