A project of the Belonging, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity (BIDE) Institute is distributing menstrual cups free to UWindsor students.

“Menstruation is a natural part of life and lack of access to menstrual products should never be a reason for negative feelings or financial hardship,” says executive director Aya El-Hashemi (BSc 2022), a master’s student of translational health science. “We hope to provide individuals with a greater range of options to manage their menstrual health in a manner that is comfortable, easy, and effective for them.”

Anmol Nagra, a student of integrative biology and the institute’s equity pillar director, calls working on the project the most rewarding experience of her university career.

“I have been fortunate enough to work alongside a group of individuals who have supported me on every step of this project, and I am excited to see the future of this project come to life,” Nagra says.

The cups are available through the Campus Food Pantry administered by the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance.

El-Hashemi notes that this is just the first phase, with future plans including the installation in campus washrooms of dispensing units for other menstrual products.

“Menstrual equity isn’t a luxury, and we are determined to continue to work towards bringing it to our campus community,” she says.