Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams introduced legislation today in the New York City Council to expand access to menstrual hygiene products among students on all City University of New York campuses.
The bill, Intro 2015, would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to provide menstrual hygiene products for CUNY to make available on campus, at no cost to the university or students. The city would need to provide a sufficient supply of tampons, sanitary napkins, and other related items to meet the needs of CUNY students.
The Public Advocate's legislation is co-sponsored by Council Member Helen Rosenthal, Chair of the Committee on Women and Gender Equity, and Council Member Mark Treyger, Chair of the Committee on Education. All three legislators were sponsors of a 2016 law that mandated the Department of Education provide menstrual hygiene products to students within their facilities, a mandate this new legislation would expand to include college-aged students.
"In 2016, when the Council passed legislation to provide menstrual hygiene products to students in Department of Education buildings, it was a major step forward for menstrual equity," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "This new legislation would build on that progress and other recent developments, such as repealing the pink tax, to lift discriminatory burdens to health and economic equity."
A 2017 YouGov poll found that 65% of Americans believe menstrual hygiene products should be available free of charge in all school restrooms, compared to just 25% who disagree. 72% of 18-34 year olds believe the same. Half of all women surveyed in the same poll believe that menstrual hygiene products should be available and free in all public bathrooms, similar to other hygiene products like toilet paper and soap.
"Menstrual items are absolutely essential for hygiene. Making these products available to all in public restrooms, regardless of socioeconomic status, is just another part of making public spaces more accessible. And I am especially proud that persons in city jails, shelters, and on CUNY campuses will also have access to free menstrual hygiene items. I thank Public Advocate Williams and Council Member Treyger for their leadership on this issue, along with the CUNY students who worked so hard to make these bills a reality," said Council Member Helen Rosenthal, Chair of the Committee on Women and Gender Equity.
"Every person who menstruates should have equal access to menstrual hygiene products. This is a sexual and reproductive health and rights issue and with the advancement of the Menstrual Equity Bill introduced today, thousands of CUNY students, staff and their families will have free access to a basic life necessity. I thank my legislative co-sponsors, Council Member Rosenthal and Public Advocate Williams, for partnering with me to ensure that the affordability of a health item does not pose a barrier to education," said Council Member Mark Treyger, Chair of the Committee on Education.
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