You walk into a public toilet and see that there’s no loo roll. “For goodness’ sake,” you might think, “this is disgusting”. You may even tell your friend “There isn’t any, we’ll have to go somewhere else.” The same applies to soap: “This is ridiculous, they should provide soa- ew, no, don’t touch me! You haven’t washed your hands properly!”
Regardless of your reaction, the overwhelming opinion is that a lack of loo roll (or soap) is inadequate, it’s the absence of a hygiene product that should be there. I mean, everyone needs loo roll, don’t they? It is quite the necessity for a pleasant toilet trip, if such a thing can be measured. Why then, when there are 15 million women of menstruating age in the UK, are sanitary products not seen as a similar necessity? Toilet roll isn’t a want but a need, hence why it is offered so readily. Is the suggestion that women are menstruating for a laugh? That periods are a choice?
Both items are equally required necessities when using a public bathroom, so is it not time that sanitary products are administered in the same, casual way?
Apparently not. The rarely sighted free sanitary towel dispensers appear to enjoy labouring over the fact that they’re doing women a big favour- don’t worry, girls, they’ve got your back. Essentially, if you’re lucky enough to be given free sanitary products in a public loo (you spoiled thing!) it scarcely comes without an unsolicited onslaught of self-promoting, sanctimonious sentences drawn from the septic tank of sexism. I know I’m often called theatrical, but I just can’t see it myself. Nonetheless, the fact remains that free sanitary products being offered suggests whichever company has provided them agrees that they should be. And yet, big pink and red boxes proudly display their ever-so charitable nature in bold font. “Oh isn’t this nice?”, “Oh, aren’t I lucky!” we’re encouraged to think by the commanding presence of the gaudy dispenser.
One of them- “Is it that time of the month? We’ve got you covered”- is exceptionally revealing when translated to the distributing of other, similar necessities.
Picture the scene: you enter a bathroom and spot a violently flashy sign which sits just above a smugly perched toilet roll. It’s positioned like some sort of trophy.
“Is it that time to piss?” the threateningly bold letters read, “We’ve got you covered”.
“Oh goody, I can’t believe it!” you’ll say, “That was a close one. Evie, come here, look, they’ve got us covered! Now we won’t have to sit in a puddle of our own-“
Alright, that’s quite enough.
The truth is, you can’t picture this scene, because it doesn’t happen. It’s utterly ridiculous. And yet my stance risks being received as ungrateful. Of course, what these companies do are more than deserving of respect. And, of course, they stand for a good cause. But that isn’t what’s being disputed. The issue is that the very cause they stand for is diminished by the marketing. Their presence suggests a belief in free sanitary products as a matter of course, which their visuals do not. Reinforcing the view that this will never be the norm, by depicting it as a novelty rather than an ordinary practice, will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. And whilst, it is undoubtably better to have free sanitary products than not, I can’t help but feel women are deserving of more than accessibility to hygiene that isn’t enmeshed with a contract demanding eternal indebtedness.
Lastly, the issue of free sanitary products resulting in people taking more than they need is frequently used as a reason for this practice to be terminated. After all, what’s the point if there are never any products in the dispenser anyway? But, again, this only serves as more of a reason to increase the number of free hygiene products in public loos. Why is it that people don’t leave with a handbag stuffed full of toilet tissue? Why is it that these rolls don’t line the streets having escaped the ridiculously small pockets of women who attempted to shamelessly steal them? It’s because people aren’t worried that there won’t be any in the next. They aren’t forward planning or acting out of anxiety. They know that toilet paper is offered freely. If free sanitary products appeared in more public toilets, less would be inclined to take them when they weren’t immediately needed. But, alas, it seems the UK is a long way off from this. So, for now, keep a note and return to toilets that you know will have “you covered”. And remember, be exceptionally grateful for this kind and extraordinary act!