Students urge Setrið in Faroe Islands to provide menstrual products for equity

The Student Council and the Union of Students have urged Setrið, a higher education institution, to provide menstrual products in the facilities available to students.

This small initiative could significantly impact many students, according to Harriet Dam, chair of the Student Council. “If for any reason you don’t have a pad with you, it puts you in a difficult situation,” she stated.

Setrið has investigated whether it is authorized to ensure menstrual products are available in restrooms. However, the Ministry of Education and Research has indicated that student financial aid covers these products.

Student organizations highlight that major universities in other Nordic countries and the UK provide menstrual products in their restrooms, and they cannot understand why this should not be possible in the Faroe Islands as well.

Harriet Dam emphasized that this issue creates inequality among students since only women require menstrual products. “More than half of the students at Setrið need menstrual products,” she noted.

The call for accessible menstrual products reflects a broader movement for gender equity within educational institutions and aims to alleviate unnecessary challenges faced by students.