As seen in the Overheard at the University of Alberta Facebook group this week, some ladies set up a menstrual products basket, with inspiring sticky notes all over the mirror in the women’s bathroom in Tory. The setup comes complete with the hashtag #babessupportingbabes and a note to staff: “Please do not remove these items as they are for the health and wellness of UAlberta Students”, with encouragement to leave items and post notes. There are also reported instances of this happening in other bathrooms across campus (such as Rutherford), as well as multilingual notes for students who are more comfortable with languages other than English.
This is such a great way to brighten someone’s day, and offer even just the smallest bit of support, as needed. A movement like #babessupportingbabes is especially important during such a stressful time in many students’ lives, with classes ending, exams, and a multitude of final papers due. This is in addition to the regular stresses of a student’s life.
The inclusion of menstrual products in the movement also highlights the importance of those menstruating having access to these products when needed. The university should take note, and consider supplying these products for free in bathrooms across campus.
Image: Rupali Gupta, courtesy of Overheard at the University of Alberta