UCalgary Foothills Campus students keen to develop equity

Equity has many faces, but for Heshini Dalpathadu, a PhD candidate in the lab of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute’s Dr. Steven Greenway, it takes the shape of hard work and organization that makes a tangible difference.  

Dalpathadu, along with medical students Rayyan Zuberi and Kerry Yang, is the driving force behind the Menstrual Care Project, which provides free menstrual care supplies on Foothills Campus. 

“For me, the motivation came during a late night in the lab when my period came unexpectedly, and I couldn’t find any products on campus,” says Dalpathadu. “That’s when I decided something needed to be done to fix this problem and reduce stress for students.”

The student trio—along with staff from the Student Advocacy and Wellness Hub (SAW Hub) at the Cumming School of Medicine— dedicated hours to applying for funding and received $55,000 in total from the Graduate Students’ Association and the Students’ Union Quality Money Programs. It’s enough to keep the program running for three years. 

The money was used to purchase menstrual care supplies, which can now be found in 15 washrooms, including three gender-neutral spaces, around campus. 

“We kicked off the program at the end of August, and it was really cool to see it coming to fruition,” said Dalpathadu, adding 12 volunteers have stepped up to help keep washrooms stocked with the supplies. 

According to Rosie Jones, operations coordinator at the SAW Hub, the Menstrual Care Project has been well received. 

“The feedback so far has been amazing,” says Jones, who works closely with Dalpathadu to keep the program running. “When we return each week to restock, we find most, if not all, of the products have been used.” 

Jones notes organizers are monitoring usage and looking into introducing sustainable products, a common request found in the survey. 

Jones is proud of the students’ contributions. 

“Based on student requests prior to the launch of this program, we knew there was a need for menstrual care products,” says Jones. “This is such an important program that makes accessing these products more private. It makes things more equitable for everyone.” 

For more information about the Menstrual Care Project, visit the SAW Hub’s website.