The aim of this form is to pledge to help us end Period Poverty at ARU.

Our student population is approximately 63% female and 37% male (note that this does not specify how many trans or non-binary students we have, though the general population puts this at around 1%).

Period poverty is commonly defined as having a lack of access to menstruation products due to financial constraints. It also encompasses poor menstrual knowledge. Period poverty can heavily impact a person's life, their health, self-esteem, economic situation and wellbeing (Tull, 2019). The full report can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c6e87b8ed915d4a32cf063a/period.pdf

So what does this have to do with ARU? These can all be causes as to why students fail to attend university - periods can have a drastic effect on educational performance and attendance and this is devastating. There needs to be a real culture change in attitudes towards periods and we must start somewhere in being a part of that change.

By adding your name to this pledge, you'll be joining a list of others which we will be using to present to the university in order to lobby for free sanitary products. Currently, the Students' Union offers free sanitary products through Amanda's 'A Bloody Mess' campaign but we are a small organisation and this is not sustainable for the future.

This is being done as part of Amanda's (Vice President Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) A Bloody Mess Campaign. To find out more please get in contact via facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.alss or email: a.campbell-white@angliastudent.com