Red Box Scheme

Helping to reduce menstrual inequalities
Shelf display of sanitary products for the red box scheme
We want to help reduce menstrual inequities, so the Faculty of Health (FoH) Equality team have arranged for boxes of period products to be available across their locations as part of their Athena Swan initiatives.
The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FoSE) joined this scheme in September 2024.
The Red Box Scheme also supports any staff, students or visitors who are caught short on campus by ensuring they have access to free sanitary products when they need them. Where possible, the boxes have been placed in gender neutral/accessible toilets so that all genders have access.
Athena Swan Silver award, repositioned

Period Poverty

Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints (RCN, 2022). It disproportionately affects women and girls, making it an equality issue. In the current economic climate, we understand that students who menstruate may be under particular financial pressure, and so the Red Box Scheme is a small part of the wider fight against period poverty.
  • Want to learn more about ?
  • Want to set up your own Red Box? The project leads would love to hear from you! Contact FoHEquality@plymouth.ac.uk or the FoSE EDI Administrator