Bill A1349 will provide menstrual products in our schools free of charge so that the students who are menstruating can have their needs met. Its counterpart has passed in the New Jersey Senate with unanimous support because periods are not partisan! We need the Assembly to act now so we can get this to the Governor's desk asap.

Menstrual equity is a public health concern and a gender equality issue—menstrual products are not luxuries, they are necessities. Lack of access to menstrual products as the result of policies that disregard the needs of people who menstruate is a clear form of gender-based exclusion and sex-based discrimination.

Menstruation is a natural monthly occurrence, experienced by over half the population for much of their lives, and should not be treated differently than any other basic bodily function. It’s unhygienic not to have access to menstrual products, no less so than lack of access to toilet paper. Just as we have regulated the provision of toilet paper and paper towels in public school restrooms, so too should we for menstrual products. New Jersey’s best-in-the-nation education system funds all essential items needed for students to be successful in school—it is time menstrual products be included on the list.

The provision of menstrual products in schools will help ensure New Jersey provides equal access to education and enables students to reach their full potential, irrespective of gender.