Menstrual Equity in Rockland

At the last legislature meeting, men and women decked out in pink and red showed up en masse to speak on menstrual equity in our county. The Suffern Rotary Club, alongside volunteers from local high schools and middle schools, have been collecting period products to distribute to low-income individuals around Rockland. Speakers emphasized the dire need for period products in public locations, comparing the hygiene items to other publicly provided hygiene items such as toilet paper and hand soap. 

When women do not have access to period products, it precludes them from being involved in extracurriculars, from working, and from attending school. Without proper products, women will resort to using rags or wadded up toilet paper, leading to infections. 

Margaret, a thirteen year old attending Felix Festa Middle School, delivered a presentation on her efforts to have period products available in bathrooms. After six months of dedicated work, dispensers have been placed into restrooms. There’s a catch, however – there are no products placed in the dispensers at time of publication. According to NYS Education Department Public Health Law §267, which went into effect July 1st, 2024, school are required to “…provide menstrual products at no cost to students in school restrooms.” At current, students must leave class, walk to the nurses office, request a menstrual product, walk back to the restroom, and then return to class. Margaret says this process took her eight minutes of lost classroom time. 

Support the Suffern Rotary Period Product Initiative by scanning the QR code, or by check to Suffern Community Fund PO Box 103 Suffern, NY 10901 and indicate PPI in memo. Learn more at suffernrotary.org.