We are K-12 students in the Massachusetts Menstrual Coalition Student Sub-Committee and we are writing in support of (H.534/S.2491) An Act to Increase Access to Disposable Menstrual Products in Prisons, Homeless Shelters, and Public Schools. This bill would provide access to free menstrual products to all menstruating individuals in prisons, homeless shelters, and public schools for all grades without stigmatizing the individual seeking them.
Half of the world menstruates. Like all other basic bodily functions, menstruation is not a choice. Nearly 1 in 4 menstruating students in the United States struggle to afford menstrual products. Massachusetts residents should never sacrifice protecting their menstrual health over food, clothes and shelter.
As students, the I AM bill is important to us because:
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Properly stocking bathrooms with menstrual products would make education more equitable in Massachusetts and help students avoid embarrassment or the need to miss school days and activities.
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As a leading state in education, Massachusetts should take notice and act against period poverty and people having to miss class time because of a lack of menstrual products.
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The I AM bill will raise awareness about period poverty, break the stigma around menstruation, and assure that menstrual equity is not seen as a 'women's' issue alone.
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Providing and restocking menstrual products should not be the burden of school nurses.
Until the I AM Bill is passed, school districts from cities such as Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Fall River, Framingham, Lexington, Lowell, Medford, Natick, Needham, New Bedford, Newton, Northborough and Southborough, Salem, Somerville, and Wellesley are implementing free menstrual product product programs in all female and gender-neutral bathrooms in K-12 schools. These districts show that free product programs are necessary and possible. However, a student's school district should not determine their menstrual product access. All students, in all districts, deserve to have access to free menstrual products.
The Senate voted YES unanimously in 2022 and again in 2023 to pass the I AM Bill. State Representatives, we need your help in bringing H.534/S.2491 An Act to Increase Access to Disposable Menstrual Products in Prisons, Homeless Shelters, and Public Schools to a vote in the Massachusetts House!
We, as K-12 students in Massachusetts, believe that menstrual products should be free and accessible for all students. Don't let the generation after us continue to struggle with period poverty as we have. We have the opportunity with this bill to take an important step to creating a safe, supportive, and empowering learning environment for all students.
You can email lead sponsors Senator Jehlen and Representatives Livingstone and Barber for more information, or Mass NOW Executive Director Sasha Goodfriend at sasha@massnow.org.
Sincerely,
Massachusetts Menstrual Equity Coalition Student Sub-Committee