Women in Law tackle period poverty and win award for their work
The Women in Law (Ženy v práve) student association at the Faculty of Law of Comenius University Bratislava is bringing important change to the academic environment. The initiative supports women in the legal profession and opens up topics that are often considered taboo. Its Period. project recently succeeded in the Inclusion Award 2026 competition, taking second place among initiatives from universities involved in the ENLIGHT alliance.
“The initial impulse came at the beginning of this academic year, after several of us had completed Erasmus stays abroad,” says Barbora Budzáková, one of the initiative’s founders. The association focuses mainly on supporting and bringing together women in law, networking with women legal professionals, organising educational events, and raising awareness of issues such as violence against women, sexual harassment and period poverty. Budzáková emphasises that the aim is to create a safe and inspiring environment where female students can connect with women working in the field.
From plans to successful events
The association has already begun turning its plans into practice. It has established a book club and held its first event, where members discussed violence against women with Ria Gehrerová, author of the book Bola to láska (It Was Love).
The faculty also hosted the association’s first panel discussion, with Professor Mária Patakyová and Associate Professor Denisa Homola Nevická, whose research focuses on menstrual leave, as guests. Moderated by Dr Mária Havelková, the discussion also looked at the broader challenges faced by women in the legal professions.
The project is also gaining support beyond its home faculty. Members promoted the initiative at Health Day at the invitation of the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University Bratislava. They also presented their activities and aims to the university management and other associations at a convention of the student section of the Academic Senate, which this year focused specifically on student associations.
Access to products and a vision for the future
The founders used financial support from the university to buy period products, which they placed in women’s toilets in the faculty building on Šafárikovo námestie in Bratislava. Educational posters with QR codes for collecting data on period poverty in the academic environment have been placed next to the containers, and the collected data will be used in research.
“Providing these products is common practice at universities abroad, and we would like to introduce this practice here. The purpose is to help prevent the exclusion of female students from classes and to ensure equal access to education,” explains Budzáková.
Recruitment of members in the new academic year
The association currently has around 25 female student members, who continue to bring in new ideas. Its founders have already registered it as a civic association and want to follow up on this official registration with a major recruitment drive for new members at the beginning of the new academic year.
Eva Kopecká