Ads on packaging to fund free menstrual pads at Auckland uni

University of Auckland students will soon be able to access menstrual pads for free through an initiative using product packaging for advertising in busy bathrooms.

Ads on Pads founder Aditi Gorasia told 1News her passion for period equity began after hearing first-hand stories of young women struggling to access period products while working as the women's rights officer at University of Auckland.

"As part of that [association] we held a space where people could come in and rest, relax, but they could also come in and get free period products.

"As they came in, they would often feel the need to justify why they were taking [them], so they told me things like 'oh I've had to pick between groceries and period products this week, so I've just been using toilet paper' or 'I've been skipping [university] and staying home'," she said.

An Australian survey conducted by Share The Dignity found over 77% of university and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) students found it difficult to buy period products and 36% have worn a tampon or pad for more than four hours due to the cost of them.

And according to Kidscan, 52% of women in New Zealand have struggled to afford a period product at some point in their life and one in four have skipped work or school because they couldn’t afford products.

Gorasia said beginning to understand the scale of the problem impacting New Zealanders led her to come up with the idea to partner with those who would pay for advertising on disposable pads.

"It's a tight economic space. So brands only have so much philanthropic money to give away, which is why it was really important for us to create a sustainable revenue stream that means that we can keep giving these products away for free and keep driving more income for our charity partners.

"We had to make sure that sponsors had something in it for them, and that's why it's really important that this has a strong advertising proposition."

The partnership would see over 3000 biodegradable pads distributed weekly in the University of Auckland bathrooms, which would "turn the packaging into a powerful ad space" for charities and like-minded brands.

"It's about empowering people with periods, and showing that brands can do good while making an impact," she said.

The first ad to appear on the pads packaging was for Breast Cancer Foundation, to encourage women to get into the habit of checking their breasts.

"We share common ground with this initiative by bringing formerly taboo topics – periods and breast cancer – to the forefront. The more we talk about them both, the better off we'll all be," said Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand's chief executive Ah-Leen Rayner.

Sonja Epskamp, health promotion adviser at the University of Auckland, said students facing cost of living challenges can experience reduced access to menstrual products "which can impact their dignity".

"Recognising that period poverty can cause students to miss classes and experience stress, we have been offering reusable menstrual products at various University locations for nearly three years."

"As this initiative developed, feedback from students highlighted the need for disposable products in more discreet locations, such as bathrooms. Our collaboration with Ads on Pads enables us to meet this need more sustainably, reaching more students in need."

The average menstruator spent $15 a month on their period — almost $7000 over a lifetime with 450 periods on average. This does not include painkillers, replacements for spoilt underwear or skipped work days due to periods.

Gorasia said Ads on Pads was also looking to expand to other high-traffic venues such as shopping malls and airports, to reach even more people with free period products.

"We're starting in Aotearoa, but our vision is global. Australia and the US are next on the list."

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