Free period products are to be provided to students and staff at Munster Technological University as part of an initiative to end period poverty and tackle taboos around menstruation.
Sustainable single-use sanitary pads and tampons will be available at 60 locations on all six MTU campuses, in Cork at Bishopstown, the School of Music, the College of Art and Design, and the National Maritime College, as well as at MTU's two campuses in Tralee in Co Kerry, from next week.
Code Red is a student and staff-led initiative designed to tackle period poverty so that menstruation does not lead to someone having to miss educational activities, work or recreation due to the lack of access to period products.
Made up of students and staff, the Code Red working group was first mooted by MTU Technical Officer Dermot Barry, who was contacted by his union UNITE about a Period Dignity campaign it was running in the UK.
"Being a husband and the father, I thought that this was a very worthwhile initiative and so I decided to set up a working group".
Among those on the working group is MTU's Graduate Studies Administrative coordinator Lisa Moran, who says the initiative has been widely welcomed by staff and students.
"We really feel it is going to make a huge difference to our population. The feedback is terrific. Period products should be as freely and readily available as bathroom soap and toilet paper are.
"It is about treating everyone equally".
The project is fully funded by MTU and uses sustainable products developed by West Cork-based company Riley.
Providing sanitary products is another step towards equality across MTU, according to the University's President Professor Maggin Cusack.
Professor Cusack said period poverty is real and MTU is addressing it.
MTU President Professor Maggie Cusack
The working group is also tackling period taboos with a series of free online events including workshops and seminars to coincide with the launch of Code Red next week.
It is estimated that Irish women spend an average of €132 on tampons and sanitary towels every year and that one in every two young Irish women have experienced issues around affording sanitary products, according to anytimeofthemonth.com.
Both Scotland and New Zealand have passed legislation to ensure period products are available to those who need them.
Currently a bill to ensure the general availability, free of charge, of period products here is before Seanad Éireann.
