Demanding Free Menstrual Products in New Jersey Schools
Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Women and Children Committee
ABOUT US
PERIOD is the largest youth-run NGO in women’s health in the world. We provide and celebrate menstrual hygiene through service, education, and policy — through the global distribution of period products to those in need, and engagement of youth leadership through a nationwide network of campus chapters. In the last three years, we have addressed almost 1 Million periods and have registered over 700 campus chapters at universities and high schools in the United States and abroad.
Petition by
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Sponsored by
To:
Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Women and Children Committee
From:
[Your Name]
Join us in calling for free menstrual products in NJ public schools!
Lend us your support for NJ bill S692/A3388 "Requires School Districts to Provide
Menstrual Products." This legislation will ensure that free, safe menstrual products are available for those who need them and that no student's learning is hindered by a lack of access to the products that their biology demands . Just like toilet paper and soap, pads and tampons are basic necessities. However, they’re not provided in school bathrooms, creating educational barriers for students with periods. A 2018 survey by Always found that 1 in 5 girls in the U.S. left school early or missed school entirely because they could not access menstrual products. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted existing income disparities in NJ and the likely economic fallout will worsen period poverty. Therefore, New Jersey must urgently address this inequity in opportunity, where a lack of menstrual products affects a person's ability to learn, be healthy, and participate in daily life.
Sixteen states have introduced legislation that would provide free menstrual products in schools, garnering bipartisan support. In fact, several states— including New York, California, Illinois, and New Hampshire— have already passed these laws. New Jersey should join them in setting an example by including menstrual products in school budgets, the same way we include toilet paper and hand soap. Sign this petition, share it with your friends, and join the Menstrual Movement in creating change for millions of menstruators and demanding systemic change towards gender equality.
References:
All credit to the students and activists leading this movement and pushing for legislative action. Special credit to the #FreeThePeriodCA organization for creating the template for this petition.
Thinx. PERIOD. State of the Period: Widespread impact of period poverty on US students.
New Jersey Community Food Bank. Announcing Our New Period Initiative.
NeaToday. “Growing Awareness of Period Poverty in Schools.”