Series on the 2023/2024 budget

Young people in Chemnitz want menstruation to no longer be a taboo subject in schools. And they were successful.

How did it come about that the Chemnitz City Council addressed the issue of hygiene product dispensers in schools?

Stella Kimmer: At the plenary meetings, which are held regularly with all student representatives from Chemnitz schools, there were discussions about the fact that some schools already have something like this and then the wish was expressed that it could be extended to all Chemnitz schools.

What was your reaction to the city council's decision to provide 10,000 euros a year?

Hermine Lowke: We were very pleased, especially because we finally had the feeling that we had a voice that was being heard and implemented.

What is the current situation at the five schools that already have hygiene product dispensers?

Hermine Lowke: At the moment, it is mostly the pupils who take the time to fill the dispensers one by one during their breaks, as neither the caretakers nor the cleaning staff can currently do this because it would mean a change to the contract.

Do the students finance this themselves?

Maurizio Brückner: It's usually done that way. At my school, for example, it has been discussed several times that we put a box in the toilets and everyone can take something out when they need it. If you want to give something back, you can fill up with one or two pads or tampons.

There are already plans within the city of Chemnitz as to how the 20,000 euros from the budget will be used: The Facility Management and Building Construction department, which is responsible for the sanitary facilities in schools, for example, will use the €10,000 for 2023 to provide every secondary school in Chemnitz and every special school with a sanitary product dispenser. The costs for this amount to around 7,500 euros. The remaining funds and next year's €10,000 will be used entirely to purchase tampons and sanitary towels. As soon as the state directorate confirms the budget, the procurement process can begin.Tommy Sachse from Building Management and Structural Engineering is in charge of procuring the sanitary product dispensers: "However, the schools themselves decide which toilet the dispenser should be installed in. The plan is for the caretakers to take over the reordering of the hygiene products and store them. They can decide for themselves whether the caretakers also take care of filling the dispensers or whether the teachers, school management or pupils take care of this."

What do you think of these plans?

Stella Kimmer: I think it's definitely a good start. If you have a donor at every school, you can gain experience to see if it works well. You can build on this and expand it, especially if it is successful.

Maurizio Brückner: I think it's a wonderful thing that can definitely work in the long term. If you are in direct communication with the caretaker team, then everything is within the realms of possibility. In the short term, there is of course the option for pupils to fill the bins themselves during the transition phase.

Is one dispenser per school enough?

Hermine Lowke: Of course, it's not enough. The plan is for there to be a dispenser in every anteroom of a toilet, precisely because these dispensers are there so that you can take something away if you forget something. You usually only find out when you're already in the toilet. Then it's impractical if you have to walk down two more stalls because you know that the dispenser is there. We actually need a dispenser in every toilet. We are pleased that we have managed to get 10,000 euros a year for hygiene products. However, this is still not enough to really equip so many schools with sufficient sanitary products. It can provide a basic supply of hygiene products, but it is not really enough.

How much money would we actually need per year to provide hygiene products for everyone?

Hermine Lowke: I did the maths at my school and indirectly came to the conclusion that we would need 50 euros per month. That's 600 euros per year for my school - we're a very large school - but if you look at it, the 10,000 euros could only cover around 20 schools. But we have more than 20 secondary schools and then that would have to be increased.

What does it mean for young women in particular to have uncomplicated and free access to hygiene products?

Stella Kimmer: For fifth or sixth formers in particular, who may not have had their period for very long, it can be stressful when they realise they are getting their period but don't have anything with them. Then it can happen that they have to be picked up from school. If you have easy access to the toilets, it is of course much more relaxed. You don't have to ask classmates if you can get anything. It's much more pleasant for the pupils. I think that the topic of menstruation is still not dealt with openly enough. I think the donors have the effect of removing taboos from the subject, that people talk about it openly. But especially at school, I think it helps people to feel comfortable and that pupils are given support.

Hermine Lowke: There is enough stress that students are exposed to in everyday school life, and it is of course always important to look at where stress can be reduced. And this is a very simple area where you can reduce stress by simply providing them with hygiene products.

Maurizio Brückner: It's definitely a sensible thing to do. As a non-menstruating person, it doesn't really affect me, but it was still important for me to raise the issue at school myself. I'm very happy that we even made it as far as the city council in the student council.

The Chemnitz City Pupils' Council is confident that the issue of hygiene article donors will not stop at the city limits, but will encourage pupils in other districts and cities: "We hope that this will serve as a beacon project and that other cities can take Chemnitz as a role model. We hope that it will perhaps be implemented throughout Saxony and Germany at some point," hopes Hermine Lowke.