The School of Engineering and Informatics are delighted to have joined the Period Dignity Project, started by staff member Kristy Flowers of Life Sciences in 2020. The project operates on the belief that access to period products is a person’s right and aims to place free period products in bathrooms across campus.  

The School of Engineering and Informatics has joined the project in response to feedback by student reps, who requested period products be made available in the school. Free period products have now been placed in the bathrooms across Chichester I to try and help lessen some of the stressful effects of periods in our school for students and staff alike.  

Elizabeth Rendon-Morales (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion lead for the school) said “The Period Dignity scheme is a positive initiative that we are happy to join as it will help to improve awareness and reduce the stigma around periods. It will also help in minimizing anxiety and stress in our students and encourage them to focus on their learning and education." 

Student Engagement Coordinator Oli Lane, who led the effort to join the project, said “A close friend of mine suffers from endometriosis, which gave me a small insight into the expense and stress of periods. Collaborating with my colleagues here in the school and with Kristy Flowers in Life Sciences I was able to secure period products for the School of Engineering and Informatics (and receive a crash course education in women’s health too!).” 

If you would like to make a donation of new and unused tampons, pads, or menstrual cups/pants you can do so to the Engineering and Informatics School office at Chichester I 002 (open 09:00-15:00, Monday-Friday). If you are interested in finding out more or getting involved in the University period dignity scheme, contact period.dignity@sussex.ac.uk. 

The Sussex Students’ Union have free Wednesdays (where they provide free period products, drug testing kits, condoms and more) at the Falmer House reception from 12pm-1.30pm every Wednesday during term time.