A message from a frustrated student written on a tampon machine in a women’s washroom, SHE 648, in the Sally Horsfall Eaton Centre building on Ryerson campus. October 30. (Jordan Cornish/Ryersonian Staff)
This story includes an update from campus facilities and sustainability.
Ryerson’s campus services has promised to fix and restock all tampon and menstruation pad dispensers in campus washrooms after The Ryersonian investigation published on Friday.
Of the 44 washrooms The Ryersonian checked, 23 had no machine to dispense menstruation products. Of those with machines, 20 ate our change and didn’t dispense any product.
The only one with a machine that dispensed anything was one of the new unisex washrooms on the second floor of the Student Campus Centre.
Four of the machines appeared to be damaged.
In the Rogers Communications Centre (RCC), washrooms on the first, second and third floors had machines offering products at three different prices: $0.25 on the second, $0.50 on the third, and $1.00 on the first.
Tampons being sold for $1 in the women’s washroom on the first floor of the RCC. Oct. 30. (Jordan Cornish/Ryersonian Staff)
Not one of the RCC machines dispensed any pads or tampons when The Ryersonian tested them. Each required exact change and didn’t return any money even though they were empty or not working.
Kerri Bailey, Ryerson’s manager for campus facilities and sustainability, told The Ryersonian the dispensers would be fixed and consistent pricing established after an audit of all campus washrooms is completed.
“Any community member who is out of pocket as a result of one of these machines will be reimbursed,” Bailey said.
Only one request was made to service these machines in the past four years, she said.
“If student, staff or faculty would like a machine installed in a nearby washroom, we will order one for them.”
When asked about the price discrepancy, Bailey said, “the machines were installed at different times and it’s possible the price differences were set at the time of installation.”
An open tampon machine revealing no tampons. This machine in a women’s washroom in Eric Palin Hall, EPH 429, is one of the many on-campus bathrooms without tampons or pads. Oct. 30. (Jordan Cornish/Ryersonian Staff)
In the 2013-2014 school year, 54 per cent of undergraduate students were female, according to the Ryerson University planning office.
The Student Learning Centre — Ryerson’s $112-million addition opened earlier this year — does not have any machines selling menstruation supplies installed in its women’s washrooms.
A damaged tampon machine in a women’s washroom on the first floor of Kerr Hall South, KSHS 150 on Oct 30. (Jordan Cornish/Ryersonian Staff)
In the 2013-2014 school year, 54 per cent of undergraduate students were female, according to the Ryerson University planning office.
The Student Learning Centre — Ryerson’s $112-million addition opened earlier this year — does not have any machines selling menstruation supplies installed in its women’s washrooms.
Angela Serednicki is a fourth-year journalism student at Ryerson University.
