submitted by stokesb@augsburg.edu
A collective of students has come together to create a proposal with the intent to install free menstrual product dispensers on campus. We feel it is essential to have access to free menstrual products on campus, as over half of the Augsburg community experiences a menstrual cycle, and not everyone has the necessary products on hand when they need them.
We are proposing to remove the current coin-operated dispensers in all restrooms and replace them with free product dispensers. Since most people don’t carry change on them, this provides an immediate barrier to accessing ‘essential’ bodily product needs. Given that many offices supply condoms and other birth control/STI preventatives – this inadvertently upholds patriarchal means of the “pink tax.”
The dispensers and products currently in use/disuse in Augsburg restrooms raise questions of sustainability as well as safety. The companies we have researched produce biodegradable products that are made of 100% organic cotton, no synthetics, rayon, or dyes.
Because we are committed to promoting trans inclusion on campus, we will be proposing the installment of dispensers in gender-neutral restrooms as well as women’s restrooms – knowing that menstruating isn’t just a ‘woman’s issue.’
By filling out this survey below, you will be helping us determine the number of dispensers to purchase and where it is most important to install them.