NYPIRG PRESS RELEASE: College Activists Raise Over 24,000 Menstrual Products for Local Shelters
(NY) – Throughout March, hundreds of students throughout the statecelebrated Womxn’s Herstory Month by participating in a menstrual product driveto collect goods and challenge taboos about period health andhomelessness. College students workingwith NYPIRG collected 24,388 menstrual and hygiene products to be donated tolocal shelters.
NYPIRG student activistshosted service drives on sixteen college campuses in New York State to spreadawareness and provide relief. At City College, 1,217 items were collected anddonated to a local charity in need.
Families, a majority of whichare headed by women, are a large proportion of New York State’s housinginsecure population.[i] Forhomeless women, the struggle to survive means not only obtaining food andshelter, but access to menstrual products as well. Unfortunately, sheltersoften are desperately in need of tampons and pads. A 2016 Harris Poll found that only 6% ofrespondents had ever donated period products, but three times as many haddonated other toiletries.
On top of that, studentsadvocated for LGBTQ inclusion in menstrual campaigns. Women are not the only ones who experienceperiods and public health conversations and services must acknowledge that.
The focus on period healthhas been gaining momentum in recent years. In 2016, New York State eliminated taxes on all menstrual products. 2016also saw Mayor Bill de Blasio signing legislation providing free menstrualproducts in all NYC public schools, shelters, and jails. New York State joinedby passing a statewide law to provide period products in all public schools forgrades 6-12 in 2018.
The taboo nature of periodproducts contributes to a lack of visibility about the issue and discomfort forpeople who must self-advocate. That’swhy NYPIRG chapters across the state are challenging that stigma.
“We wanted to bring people together to informthe entire community on campus about period health, menstrual equity, andhomelessness, not just those who are directly affected by this issue,” said AlyssaClark and Sinead Murray, Project Coordinators with NYPIRG at CCNY.
NYPIRGworks on combating poverty through educational and service-based actions. This year’s menstrual product drive providedstudents with the opportunity to build community organizing skills and bringaid to people in need.
Contributions are being donated to a wide variety ofshelters and pantries across the state including theBrooklyn College Women's Center,Providence House in Bedford-Stuyvesant, SUNY Cortland Cupboard and YWCA inCortland, and SUNY New Paltz Food Pantry and New Paltz Family Pantry. In addition to hygiene products, many campuses alsocollected sexual health items like condoms and pregnancy tests.
“Periods don’t just happenonce a year so we shouldn’t stop fighting for menstrual equality now that themonth is over,” said Emily Skydel, NYPIRG’s Hunger and Homelessness Coordinatorat Queens College.
[i] https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-report/new-york/
