Student organizations express a need for more free resources available to women.

One issue brought to the attention of Student Government Association is the few period products accessible to women on campus and lack of available free products. 

“I believe that women’s resources are definitely important in university spaces. No one wants to be in a situation where they are without the products they need,” said McKenna Carter, social media coordinator of Students for Life. ““Access to these products would also greatly benefit those who cannot afford to buy products every month. This would be a great resource for them,”

The period hygiene products costing 50 cents located in some campus bathrooms aren’t accessible enough, said Alleigh Dillman, president of Feminist Majority Alliance. 

“People just don’t carry cash on them, let alone change. I don’t even know where that money goes, or if it just sits there. But I mean, people who have periods can’t necessarily control it,” Dillman said. “We shouldn’t have to scrounge up 50 cents to make sure we don’t bleed through our pants.” 

Dillman said professors’ lack of empathy and understanding towards mental health is similar to their mindsets about periods. 

“I’ve had some professors who are very empathetic towards it. Other professors expect you to power through,” Dillman said.

“I know a lot of students on campus have endometriosis and PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and all these other things that make periods and just being a woman ten times harder,” Dillman said. “I think knowing that we can get a tampon, or a pad or whatever we may need just by walking into the bathroom and grabbing it will take a little weight off of our shoulders when it comes to having our menstrual cycle.” 

SGA General Assembly voted to pass a letter of support to place free period products in high-traffic women’s restrooms Feb. 17 at the GA Meeting. Anna Ardelean, Student Government Association president, had initially proposed this idea in her 2021 spring election. 

Freshman business administration major Madeline Houston had not even been fully inducted into SGA as a business representative when she began working on and leading the project. 

Houston said, “I just feel like it’s important for women to have that kind of stuff on our campuses. We give out free condoms and stuff, but we don’t really have something for women, and we have to have our periods every month.”

Katelyn Vinci, president of Students for Gender Violence Awareness, said “steps like the free period products are a push in the right direction.” 

“Period products are for basic sanitation and safety. There are legitimate safety issues if you don’t have proper products,” Ardelean said. “Menstruation is not a choice.”