Co-sponsor and pass the Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2019.
Why is this important?
The average woman spends 2,535 days on her period. That’s nearly seven years of her life of worrying if she has the necessary products to get through the day and trying to find a makeshift solution if she doesn’t.
These “solutions” can lead to skipping work, school, or to severe health problems, like toxic shock syndrome. This is especially true for incarcerated women, where 80 percent have had to use a homemade tampon and 88 percent had to resort to leaking blood.
While women spend a significant amount of money purchasing menstruation hygiene products each year—$2 billion to be exact—these essential goods are still inaccessible for many. There are currently no government assistance programs to help offset the cost.
Menstrual hygiene products not only impact a woman’s health, but also her self-esteem, education, and economic empowerment. Yet for many, these essential products are not accessible. It’s time to fix that.