Does a lack of menstrual health support quietly stop students showing up fully to university life? Two HKU students set out to find out. The answer was yes.
What they found.
Irish and Samira, senior members of the Wellbeing Team at Lady Ho Tung Hall — HKU’s only all-female residential hall — went looking for evidence. Across the whole campus there was a single store selling a limited range of plastic-heavy products. Students caught off guard had almost nowhere to turn.
“I found out my period came and I had no choice but to rush back to hall. I ended up skipping class.”
HKU student
Low-income students quietly absorbed the cost. And beyond access, students carried something harder to measure: anxiety, shame, and a topic campus life had never made room for.
“I have had to resort to using tissue paper because the nearest supermarket was still hundreds of meters away.”HKU student
Designing a response — together.
Irish and Samira brought their research to GoodPeriod, and together we designed a one-year pilot for the Hall’s 300+ residents, many managing on grants, loans or without family support.
Free organic pads in washroom dispensers cover moments of urgent need, alongside reusable period underwear that lasts over three years — saving students money and cutting single-use plastic.
More than products.
In March the programme launched at the Hall’s High Table Dinner, in front of 300+ students. Our founder Olivia spoke about how it came to life — not through charity or CSR budgets, but through purpose-driven procurement by employers across Hong Kong.
“Residents were telling me, ‘this is what supporting women truly feels like!’ It was not just a paper about women or a campaign, it was real action in support for period poverty.”
Irish, student and project lead
“The residents are actively using the products, which confirms the real need within our community. It’s truly making a tangible difference in our residents’ daily lives.”Samira, student and project lead
What we’re tracking next.
Uptake across the Hall’s dispensers, how students talk about and experience menstrual health, and whether this becomes a blueprint for HKU’s wider campus and beyond. The first reusable distribution takes place this quarter — we’ll share everything we learn.
Made possible by the employers in the GoodPeriod network — every order channelled through us supports women and girls in underserved communities.