University of Tartu installs free menstrual pad dispensers across campus buildings

The University of Tartu (TÜ) has rolled out 39 dispensers offering free menstrual pads across more than a dozen of its buildings in the city this academic year. Cleaning staff restock the dispensers on a regular basis.

The project began after the student council of the Faculty of Science and Technology flagged difficulties students faced in accessing menstrual products. Astrid Jõerand, a student and one of the initiative's leaders, said the idea rests on a simple principle: periods shouldn't keep anyone from attending university.

What the research found

The university points to a 2024 TÜ bachelor's thesis drawing on 2022 survey data from over 1,000 students across 19 Estonian schools. It found that 64 percent of respondents had missed classes, practices or other activities because of menstruation, 26 percent had struggled to obtain menstrual products, and 73 percent had resorted to alternatives when proper products weren't available. Ninety-four percent said menstrual pads should be free in Estonian schools.

TÜ equality officer Eveliis Padar said the findings show that practical barriers linked to menstruation affect a significant share of students. She said the dispenser initiative should help make menstruation less of an obstacle to taking part in university life, moving toward an environment where pads are treated as an everyday essential — comparable to toilet paper, soap or hand dryers.

Jõerand said having pads available in campus bathrooms means students can get what they need and return to class instead of leaving or heading home. She also welcomed that a student council proposal turned into a concrete, positive change, noting that small practical steps like this can make a student's day considerably easier. The dispensers carry thin pads with flexible wings intended for regular flow.