Free menstrual products at TU

What do we want? Free menstrual products at TU!
When do we want this? Now!

Key Info

On 9.1.2023, the pilot project for free menstrual products has started at the TU Berlin. As part of this, free menstrual products will be available for TU students and staff at selected locations. We will collect feedback and see how high the consumption is in order to further expand this offer for university members and to offer it at more and more locations on campus.

Take part in our survey. Your feedback matters!

Current locations

Main building

  • Toilet next to H 0100A (women’s toilet) (barrier-free)
    ground floor, very close to auditorium H 0104 and H 0105 (Audimax)
  • Gender-neutral toilet H 3002A
    3rd floor
  • Coordinating Office for Women’s Advancement and Gender Equality H 1108
    1st floor, area 1K
  • Family Services Office H 1111
    1st floor, area 1K

Maths building

  • MA 004A (women’s toilet)
    ground floor behind the main entrance on the right
  • MA 161 (women’s and men’s toilets) barrier-free
    accessible via the lift on the 1st floor

EB building

  • Toilets (women’s and men’s) barrier-free
    ground floor at the exit towards Straße des 17. Juni
  • Toilets EB 206 (women’s and men’s toilets)
    2nd floor

AStA (TK-building)

  • Gender-neutral toilet barrier-free
    ground floor behind the entrance on the left (in front of TK 016A)

The toilets where menstrual products are available are marked with a red dot on the door (also on some individual cubicles).

Campus map with locations marked in red where free mentruation products are available.

Due to vandalism, several boxes that were placed in the men’s toilets are no longer available. We are working to find a solution so that menstrual products are accessible to all.
It has also been requested that the toilet cubicles are equipped with enough waste bins.

Why?

The use of menstrual products is as all-important to menstruating people as the use of toilet paper and soap. Yet access to these essential menstrual products can present students with financial challenges and limit their participation in teaching and university life.

For many people, menstruation can be very unexpected and it should be possible for all students to participate fully in teaching and university life – for example, without having to leave lectures to hurry to the nearest supermarket or home.

Menstrual products are also a monthly expense that not all students can afford: those affected by so-called period poverty then have to resort to unhygienic alternatives or stay away from university altogether.

Therefore, with this project we want to take an important first step on the path that other German universities (e.g. Charité, University of Potsdam) have already attempted.

Product information

The tampons and pads are from MYLILY, a start-up from Hamburg. https://mylily.eu/

Normal tampons

  • Vegan & 100% certified GOTS organic cotton
  • Antiallergenic
  • No synthetic fibres, chemicals like chlorine bleach or pesticides, fragrances & dyes, microplastics.
  • Biodegradable & compostable

Normal pads

  • 100% organic cotton
  • Free from chlorine, fragrances & harmful substances
  • Antiallergenic & breathable
  • Absorbent with wings

For further questions and feedback

Or contact us via e-mail: frauenreferat@asta.tu-berlin.de

How can you help us

As this is the first test phase, it is particularly important that we collect as much feedback as possible. Therefore, it helps us a lot if you share your opinion with us via the survey.

If you can imagine being actively involved (for example, by helping to refill the products), please contact frauenreferat@asta.tu-berlin.de . We look forward to it !

For the valuable cooperation and support, many thanks to

EB104, IniChemie, Coordinating Office for Women’s Advancement and Gender Equality, Queer Department of AStA, Family Services Office