De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU) is providing FREE sanitary products to students and staff in the Campus Centre.
Products including tampons and sanitary towels are currently taxed at 5 per cent in the UK and are classed as a ‘luxury item’ rather than a necessity.
Research from the project Freedom4Girls showed that across the UK, girls as young as 11 were missing school due to not being able to afford proper sanitary products.
Tampons and sanitary products are now available in the female toilets, gender neutral toilets and DSU’s reception in the Campus Centre.
DSU wants to make sure no DMU student or staff member doesn’t have access to sanitary products or has to worry about affording them.
Mollie Footitt, Deputy President of Education at DSU said: “Sanitary products are not a luxury item. When I was a student I always had to be cautious of my spending and make sure to include tampons and pads into my budget.
“No-one should have to worry about budgeting for sanitary products or missing out on their education because they can’t afford them.”
DSU has already given out hundreds of tampons and sanitary towels, and will be ordering more when supplies run out.
Posted on Friday 30 November 2018