This past week, two of my classmates and I from my Gender and Women’s studies class facilitated a feminine hygiene product drive on campus. It was a really great experience for myself, as I felt as if I was able to make a difference in at least a few women’s lives. We put donation boxes around campus and advertised with flyers in order to gain donations. It turned out to be extremely successful, and I am so happy with the results.
This is the pamphlet we used to demonstrate startling facts:
Courtesy of Mackenzie Moraski
We facilitated this drive because of how many women have inadequate access to feminine hygiene products. Through our research, we found out that many women are forced to miss days of work because they do not have the proper products while on their period. This is sad because women are missing out on the opportunity to make money because they cannot afford a necessity for every woman’s life. Feminine products are considered a luxury, so they are taxed in many states, and women cannot even use food stamps to buy products. This is scary, especially for many impoverished women, because it results in women utilizing makeshift pads and tampons such as paper towels or old rags, which can cause health risks. We decided we needed to enforce a change!
This project hit close to home because every woman has experienced menstruation at some point in her life. It is estimated that a woman will spend close to $5,600 in period products throughout her lifetime, and that is not even including the price that many mothers pay for their daughter’s period products as well. How do you make women choose between necessities like food or tampons? It is very sad that feminine hygiene products are so overpriced and many women will struggle when that time of the month rolls around. We all know how uncomfortable it is to not feel completely covered when on your period.
Courtesy of Unsplash
We ended up donating four garbage bags full of different sized tampons and pads to the Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County. They were extremely grateful, and my group mates and I felt so great afterward. It is the small things that many of us women take for granted that other women are wishing for. This holiday season, I encourage you to get out there and make a difference in someone’s life. We understand that this drive did not and will not change the price of feminine hygiene products, but making all the difference in some local women’s lives is extremely rewarding.