New York City could soon be giving free tampons and pads to women in public schools, shelters and correctional facilities. The state council has passed a legislation, dubbed in the press as the Menstrual Equity Law, on Tuesday, June 21. All it needs is the signature from Mayor Bill De Blasio to take effect.
The legislation for free tampons and pads, which was spearheaded by council woman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, cites that many women in New York still do not have adequate access to feminine hygiene products. It emphasizes that this basic need matters to women's well-being as the lack of resources can affect and trigger physical and psycho-social health issues.
Periods hv been stigmatized for far too long. Tdy @NYCCouncil leads the nation towards menstrual equity pic.twitter.com/DPufd1PqPk
— Julissa Ferreras (@JulissaFerreras) June 21, 2016
The cost of tampons, which are from $7 to $10, could be considered as an extravagance in many low-income families. Some high school students reportedly end up using toilet paper to manage their bleeding since this is free and available in schools in abundance. There are teenage girls who use just one pad for the whole day to avoid unnecessary expenses, which can be bad for their body's health. There are also teenagers who skip class and stay home during their period, thus affecting the quality of their education.
At shelters, many women are forced to wear clothes soaked in blood during their menstruation because they have no means to buy tampons or pads. In prisons, women are not provided adequate supply, due to budget restraints. Per the New York Times, all these instances are unsanitary as well as inhumane. Offering free tampons and pads will change this.
Under the Menstrual Equity Law, 800 high schools will be provided with sanitary dispensers with timers in all the toilets to dispense free tampons and pads and service 300,000 students, per Jezebel. Free tampons and pads will also be regularly distributed at prisons and shelters. Annual cost for keeping this going will be at $1.9 million for schools and $540,000 for prison and shelters. The city will have to properly budget for this cost or work with feminine hygiene manufacturers to keep the cost down.
