All dispensers are accessible to everyone in public restrooms at the University of Cologne. The service is primarily intended for all menstruating students at the University of Cologne and is aimed at all genders, regardless of whether they are trans*, cis, inter* or endosex. With this in mind, all-gender toilets are already included; if the number of locations is expanded, the range of facilities could also be extended to include further all-gender or men's toilets, for example. Barrier-free toilets are also taken into account when choosing a location.

Menstrual products can also be made available to employees free of charge in staff or office restrooms. Cost center managers can order menstrual products via UoC's framework contract partner Lyreco and place them in the toilet stalls (menstrual pads - art.-no.: 21.766.929 or 21.766.931, tampons  - art.-no.: 21.766.942, 21.766.953 or 21.766.964). The costs for the purchase of the products are borne by the respective cost center itself.

• We ask that you only take as many items from the dispensers as are needed for your personal requirements at any given time.
• Menstrual products do not belong in the toilet. Please dispose of the items in the appropriate waste garbage cans after use.
• The dispensers are refilled by the building cleaning staff. If you find empty dispensers, please contact reinigung54(at)verw.uni-koeln(dot)de
• Manufacturer's instructions for use
• Product specifications menstrual pads (in German)
• Product specifications tampons (in German)

Plan International's Menstruation in Focus study shows that almost a quarter of menstruating people in Germany find it financially difficult to obtain adequate supplies of pads and tampons. This is also known as period poverty. The study shows that “15 percent try to use as few tampons, pads and/or panty liners as possible. One in ten even deliberately delays changing tampons, pads and/or panty liners in order to make do with them for longer, thus (knowingly) running the risk of infection. Young women are most affected by period poverty: Almost three quarters of 16 to 25-year-olds would take better care of themselves if hygiene products were cheaper.¹ Additional restrictions are caused by fears of finding a poorly equipped or dirty toilet outside the home, meaning that one in four menstruating people prefer to stay at home during their period.²

Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences took a closer look at the situation at universities with the survey Studieren und Menstruieren – geschlechtergerechterer (Hoch-)schulalltag durch kostenlose Menstruationshygieneartikel. Almost a quarter of “the menstruating students surveyed stated that they had already interrupted their stay at university against their will. This was accompanied by increased stress due to the lack of menstrual products, which had a negative impact on the learning and working atmosphere. “³ The provision of free menstrual products can make the situation easier for those affected.

Scotland is the first country in the world to provide free tampons and pads at schools and universities since 2018.¹  In Germany, too, free menstrual products are already available at many universities and colleges, such as the Ruhr University Bochum, University of Bonn, University of Bremen, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, University of Hamburg or Cologne University of Technology.

Implementation is carried out by the AStA, the Office of the Gender Equality Officer and the Department of Building and Property Management. 

• Poster “Free Menstrual Products” - size A3
• Poster “Free Menstrual Products” - size A2
• Poster “Free Menstrual Products” - size A0