Nordhausen (dpa/th) – This winter semester, the Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences is making toilet paper and soap available in the toilets free of charge as well as tampons and pads. The aim is “to take menstruators and their needs seriously, to show solidarity, to reduce disadvantages and to get menstruation out of the taboo zone,” said the university in the northernmost district of Thuringia on Thursday. In the pilot project, barrier-free and gender-neutral toilets would be equipped in particular.
“Even very well organized people sometimes forget something,” said Sabrina Schramme, diversity officer at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences. There are also many reasons why the menstrual cycle is irregular or shifted, such as stress, illness, weaning and menopause. “However, this should not be a disadvantage, especially in the educational context,” said Schramme as a co-initiator. “That’s why the Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences wants to make sure that their relatives know that they will be taken care of if necessary. In a society based on solidarity, menstruation is everyone’s business.”
The University of Jena also gives out pads and tampons for free in its restrooms. The test has been running in individual university buildings since April 2021 and, according to a spokesman, has been well received. “We assume that the project will then be consolidated,” he said. The implementation is an important step for the university on its way to gender equality anchored in the guidelines and should also normalize menstruation.
