The Rhode Island Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill that will allow public school students to have access to menstrual products for free. The bill says that public schools who teach grades five through 12 must provide pads and tampons in gender-neutral and women’s bathrooms beginning in the 2022-2023 school year at no cost […]
Michigan Women Sue To Repeal Period Tax
Three Michigan women are suing the state’s Treasury Department over taxes on menstrual products, claiming the taxes violates the equal protections clause in both the state and U.S. constitutions. The plaintiffs, represented by menstrual equity group Period Equity, is suing to end the tax and to issue a refund to people who have paid the […]
Coronavirus Hampers Access to Menstrual Products for Low-Income People and Shelters
Low-income individuals and social service organizations are struggling to find menstrual products amid the coronavirus outbreak. Along with other essentials like toilet paper, menstrual products have become difficult to find in stores or online due to consumers stocking up at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Panic shopping in March left many grocery stores, pharmacies, […]
Menstrual Equity Movement Spotlights Period Inequality
The movement known as menstrual or period equity aims to eliminate taxes on menstrual products as well as provide supplies to people who need the products the most, such as in homeless shelters, schools, and prisons. Proponents of menstrual equity point to challenges facing people who are unable to access menstrual supplies, some of which […]
Brandeis Offers Plan B via Vending Machine On-Campus
A student-run activism club, Brandeis Pro-Choice, has installed a vending machine on campus that contains Plan B. The vending machine also includes menstrual products, condoms, and other health products and will be accessible 24/7. Brandeis Pro-Choice, in a statement, wrote, “Without access to emergency contraception on nights and weekends, Brandeis students are left without the […]
FMF Supported Documentary “Period. End of Sentence.” Wins Oscar for Best Short Documentary
The documentary short, “Period. End of Sentence.”, which tells the story of women in a small village outside Delhi, India who are leading a quiet revolution against the deeply rooted stigma surrounding menstruation, won an Oscar for Best Documentary – Short Subject on Sunday night at the 91st Academy Awards.
Free Feminine Hygiene Products for Federal Inmates Now Required
The August 1st memorandum states that the BOP “ensures that female inmates have access to a range of feminine hygiene products related to menstruation.” This mandate will not apply to state prisons and jails.
New York City Council Greatly Expands Access to Menstrual Hygiene Products
The New York City Council passed legislation that will provide access to free menstrual hygiene products such as pads and tampons in public schools, homeless shelters, and the city’s correctional facilities.