A new survey by WINOL finds that female students and those who identify as women tend to spend a lot more compared to men.

The Pink Tax is not a new concept, and neither are the extra costs associated with period care and appearance upkeep.

But what exactly do those costs look like?

Forty seven students across England, Scotland and Wales were asked about their spending habits.
On average, those that identified as women spend £31 per month on beauty products and services – such as makeup, hair care, and razors – while men spend just £18.
Just under two-fifths of these women reported spending over £40 per month.

Additionally, there was an obvious gap when it came to period products including pads, tampons, and painkillers.
Although not every female student spends money on period products – be it due to contraception use, one-time reusable products, or medical conditions – just over 20% of them said they spend over £20 per month in this section.
Despite the “tampon tax”, which classified menstrual products as luxury goods, being abolished in 2021, menstrual products are still not free.
While this could be seen as a small expenditure, especially compared to rent or grocery shopping for students, it can “add up quickly” according to many students.
Winchester students in particular appeared to be high spenders – almost a third of female students claimed to spend over £20 on period products.

When asking students about their feelings on the matter, some replied that they often look through men’s products to save money.
They also brought up the pressure on women to present themselves a certain way compared to men: “If I went out without makeup, people would go ‘are you ill?’”

Another said,:“I think a man can show up in jogging bottoms, a T-shirt and greasy hair and nobody would think any different. But if a woman were to do that, I think she’d definitely get a lot more looks.”

If a student is struggling with finances, aside from looking at men’s products, there are a variety of schemes in place to help.

For example, the Winchester Student Union has a Freebie Bin which offers “free period products to students who need it”.
Since 2021, Scotland has also rolled out legislation ensuring that anyone who needs it has access to free menstrual products – the first country in the world to do so.

Winchester Rugby clubhouse swapped scrums for sequins on Wednesday evening as it hosted a sold-out crowd for a glamorous fashion fundraiser, raising more than £2,000 in aid of Breast Cancer Now.

The event was organised by local style and colour consultant Kate Moss-Jones, who drew on her own experience of breast cancer to bring together her passion for fashion and fundraising.

Guests were welcomed with prosecco and live music before browsing boutique stalls from across Winchester, including Mint Tea Boutique, SeagrassBay, Re:dress, Ellie & Bea, and H&B Style, who also contributed items to be worn on the catwalk.

Kate shared her personal story with the audience, recalling her diagnosis 18 years ago.

“It was very aggressive and had spread. My daughters were just four and five at the time, and I thought they would grow up without their mummy, just as my cousins had when my aunt died in her 30s,” she said.

She explained that the charity, then known as Breast Cancer Care, guided her through treatment and inspired her later fundraising efforts.

“I even went on to organise their annual fashion show in London for five years and worked with patients in Basingstoke Hospital to help them through chemo,” she told the crowd.

The evening’s catwalk show was the highlight, as first-time models (many of them Kate’s friends and clients) walked the runway to cheers.

Sequinned jackets shimmered under the lights, silk bras brought a touch of romance, and tailored trouser suits offered sharp sophistication.

Kate introduced each outfit, explaining the seasonal colour palettes of spring, summer, autumn and winter, which underpin her work with House of Colour.

Fashion, she told guests, had also played a role in her own journey: “When I was going through treatment, I wore wigs, my best colours and my best styles every day.

“Nobody knew unless I told them. It felt like a little victory over everything else that was happening.”

The atmosphere was friendly and celebratory, with the audience clapping, cheering, and even laughing when one model playfully pretended to stumble before flashing a grin.

Between the catwalk and boutique shopping, every ticket and purchase contributed to breast cancer research and patient care.

Kate added: “I love seeing local women supporting each other, all in the name of a great cause.”

As part of the eighth year of Winchester Green Week, a Greener Schools Forum was held to highlight what the local schools are doing to reduce their environmental impact.

The evening was open to parents, school staff and anyone who was interested in knowing what the local schools are doing to make the city greener.  

The event organiser, Isabel Mack, believes that part of the reason people have not acted quickly enough with climate change is due to our disconnection with nature.

She emphasised the importance of educating children to understand their role within nature and their dependency on it.

As well as a parent volunteer, Isabel is the founder of Party Kit Network – a social enterprise based in Winchester that specialises in reusable tableware for parties.

Party Kit Network has avoided more than 1.3m single use items in waste since July 2020. 

Various local schools and colleges shared what they are doing to reduce their harmful impact on the environment.

Oliver’s Battery shared their sustainable “bike bus” movement – a group of parents and children who wrap themselves in high viz and cycle to school together, reducing the number of cars on the morning school run around Winchester.

Vibeke Fennell, a parent governor from South Wonston Primary, thinks the bike bus is a “brilliant idea” and already knows which parents at the school gate she is going to approach to start one. 

Other school schemes included a seasonal costume swap, that encourages children to trade in their costumes from different fancy dress events throughout the year.

From Halloween to World Book Day, students can get their hands on character costumes that caught their eye last holiday while also reducing over-consumption and financial pressure on parents. 

Edd Moore, author of 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Greener School and Head of Education at Green Schools Project, spoke about his time working at Green School Bali where he worked on a jungle campus, educating children on the environment through hands-on projects.

Edd made the decision to leave teaching after 13 years as he felt he wanted to use his passion and knowledge of the environment to support teachers and schools on their “environmental journeys”. 

When asked what the wider community can do to play their part in helping the environment, Isabel Mack encouraged people to check out what is going on in their community.

This could include energy projects, community gardens or repair cafes.