Students in Northern Ireland are to be given free sanitary products as part of a pilot scheme to tackle period poverty.
The one year scheme will launch in September and see period products being provided free of charge during the academic year to students at Ulster University, Queen’s University, Stranmillis University College and St Marys’ University College.
Free period products are already provided in the majority of campuses across Northern Ireland’s six further education colleges.
The move comes after a mural in Belfast by Nuala Convery dedicated to the campaign to end period poverty was entirely defaced triggering public anger.
Economy Minister Diane Dodds made the announcement on Wednesday and said the one year pilot would help Northern Ireland’s higher education institutions to tackle the issue of period poverty.
Minister Dodds 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."
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