The University of Lodz community joins the fight against menstrual exclusion
The first pink box at the University of Lodz was installed at the University of Lodz Library in August 2022. Since then, further points with free personal hygiene products have appeared at the University of Lodz faculties. There are as many as 24 such boxes at the Faculty of Economics and Sociology. This is the result of two projects: a social project carried out during the classes by second-year Social Work students and the winning staff project submitted to the last year's Civic Budget of the Faculty of Economics and Sociology.
In April of the current year, the boxes were installed in women's toilets in 4 dormitories on the premises of the student campus and 2 boxes were installed in both buildings of the Rector's Office (each building one box). They were installed at an appropriate height so that people with mobility disabilities had access to them.
All those in need can find sanitary pads and tampons in the boxes. Access to hygiene products is important for the comfort of people who do not have hygiene products on them, as well as for those who cannot afford to buy them.
Research shows that so-called menstrual poverty may affect one in five women in Poland. Poverty-stricken women and girls cannot afford, among other things, the monthly purchase of menstrual hygiene products. When faced with the choice of whether to buy food for the family or personal hygiene products, they often have to give up buying the latter, which seems to be a civilisation standard in the 21st century.
This information was presented by Dr Izabela Desperak from the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Lodz in a material we published in 2022. This data is unfortunately still valid.
A common cause – take some and share some
Pink boxes provide support in a crisis situation. In order for them to fulfil their function, it is important to supplement them on a regular basis. We encourage the University of Lodz community to share personal hygiene products. Following the principle "take what you need, leave if you have excess!", we can also all contribute to the project by supplementing the pink boxes. Thanks to this, we will together support people in need.
Pink boxes at the University of Lodz:
- The University of Lodz Library
- The University of Lodz Rector’s Office buildings (Rector’s Office building I – toilet near the Senate Room; Rector’s Office building II – toilet located on level 0)
- The University of Lodz Dormitory No 3, Strajku Łódzkich Studentów 1981 1 (hall on the ground floor)
- The University of Lodz Dormitory No 5, Strajku Łódzkich Studentów 1981 5 (public toilet on the ground floor)
- The University of Lodz Dormitory No 10, Lumumby 12 (hall on the ground floor)
- The University of Lodz Dormitory No. 11, Strajku Łódzkich Studentów w 1981 r. 11 (hall on the ground floor)
- The University of Lodz Faculty of Economics and Sociology (24 pink boxes)
- The University of Lodz Faculty of Philosophy and History (Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, second floor)
- The University of Lodz Faculty of Law and Administration (fourth floor, part B)
- The University of Lodz Faculty of International and Political Studies (3 pink boxes: 1. Składowa 43, ground floor; 2. Lindleya 3, ground floor; 3. Ladies Toilet, Lindleya 5a, near the Michowicz Assembly Hall)
- The University of Lodz Faculty of Management (first floor, in front of room 109)
The Faculty of Philology will soon join the campaign, and the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection has also announced its plans to join it.
The "Pink Box" foundation is the organiser of the nationwide campaign. The foundation fights against exclusion and menstrual taboos. It strives for universal access to free menstrual hygiene products in public spaces. Since 2019, in consultation and cooperation with local activists, pink boxes filled with sanitary pads and tampons have been installed all over Poland. There are already over 10,000 of them. Locations where you can find free personal hygiene products are marked on the map.
Source: Communications and PR Centre, Unversity of Lodz