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Third year buys sanitary products for everyone out of her loan to help period poverty at UWE

Keep your eye out for free sanitary products around campus

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A third year UWE student has spent over £100 purchasing tampons and sanitary pads out of her own student loan in a bid to tackle period poverty at UWE.

Daisy Wakefield, who studies Drawing and Print, has spent the last month designing and creating 40 hand made boxes for the sanitary products including important statistics about period poverty – reinforcing these items are NOT a luxury.

This week, 22-year-old Daisy has deposited the boxes around campuses, providing women with free sanitary products for the first time at UWE.

This comes following the university failing to respond to her endless requests to supply free sanitary products.

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Keep your eyes peeled

Daisy has been involved with campaigning around period poverty for the past few years, creating art around the issue and placing posters around Bristol to raise awareness around the matter.

Daisy said: "I wanted to do this because I believe this is a feminist issue. One in 10 people who menstruate in the UK can’t afford the essentials to actually menstruate. That honestly baffles me."

She continued: "The university have a duty of care for all their students and it’s time they recognised people missing university because they can’t afford a tampon is also their responsibility.

"Additionally, it’s amazing we have these wonderful charities who are using all their spare time to donate and campaign to end period poverty, however the university have the money.

"They can afford to build these million pounds buildings at Frenchay, they can afford to help one in 10 of their students carry on studying by giving them some free bloody sanitary products."

So far the only response Daisy has received from UWE is forwarding her details of the “money advisor” and said to the women’s forum to get in contact with her – she's yet to receive anything.

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According to Plan International UK, one in 10 girls can't afford to buy menstrual products.

40 per cent of girls in the UK are thought to have been forced to resort to toilet roll because of an inability to afford products.

In response to Daisy's project, the university gave a statement to The Tab UWE:

"Period poverty is a global issue and we’re pleased UWE Bristol students are passionately advocating for change. The University does not currently supply free sanitary products on campus, though we would be pleased to meet with students to understand if there is an emerging need for this."

"All students can access the Blackbullion app to help their budgeting and our money advice service can provide vouchers in emergencies. Students paying home fees can access a student support fund and summer fund to cover composite living costs, and there is an emergency fund accessible to international students. Short term loans can also be arranged for any student with less than £100 in their back account."

"More information on the financial support available from UWE Bristol can be found on the website."