The lecturers launched a survey last summer on the impact of menstrual health issues on UT students and staff. The aim is to develop an overview, or dashboard, where UT employees and students can easily find information about menstrual health and support when experiencing severe symptoms.
Around two hundred respondents took part in the survey, 70 percent of whom were staff members and 30 percent students. The results showed that only around one in eight respondents feel sufficiently supported when it comes to menstrual health issues. Another statement in the survey concerned the free menstrual products offered at UT. Sarmah and Zangiabady noticed a lot of confusion about this. ‘‘A lot of people know that they are available and that the products are offered, but no one knows where to find them. I don’t know where I would look either,’ says Zangiabady. ‘So, the university is making an effort, but it isn’t clear enough.’
Everything in one place
To make things easier, Zangiabady and Sarmah want to explore the development of a dashboard within the service portal that brings together all information about menstruation health and available support in one place.
The survey also explored which forms of support respondents considered helpful. Working or studying from home was rated moderately or very helpful by 91 percent of respondents. Deadline or exam flexibility was rated moderately or very helpful by 64 percent.
The findings may help inform discussions about how UT could provide more flexible and inclusive forms of support. Sarmah and Zangiabady also see potential for clearer guidance around options such as working from home, health-related absence and flexibility around deadlines.
‘It’s understandable that some people don’t want to approach a lecturer or manager to talk about menstrual health issues. We are comfortable talking about it, but not everyone is,’ says Sarmah.
Personal experience
The idea for the project came from their own experiences with menstrual symptoms. ‘As a lecturer, you notice that it can sometimes be difficult to give a lecture. Your attention span is also worse. We were both constantly running into this.’ The lecturers decided to brainstorm possible solutions. ‘We knew we had to approach it carefully, because it can be a taboo subject. That’s why we chose a survey in which everyone could decide for themselves what they wanted to fill in,’ says Zangiabady.
It is expected to take some time before the dashboard is ready. Sarmah and Zangiabady first want to speak to a group of staff and students. ‘We want to hear what they see as a possible solution. That way, we can decide together what is important to include in the dashboard.’
