by Brianna Crandall — October 14, 2015—HOSPECO, an Ohio-based manufacturer of products for cleaning and protecting facilities and people, has partnered with New York City council member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland and the New York City Department of Education in providing the first dispenser of free feminine hygiene products at a public high school, hoping to start a trend in additional localities. The girls’ restroom at the 850-student High School for Arts and Business in the working-class area of Corona, Queens, within councilwoman Ferreras-Copeland’s district, was outfitted with the dispenser and will receive free feminine products for the entire school year.
This groundbreaking pilot program, said to be the only government initiative of its kind in the nation, is supported by donations from HOSPECO, which sees this as a women’s health issue and considers vended feminine hygiene products a required amenity in all women’s public restrooms. Ferreras-Copeland and the New York City Council have been pushing for free feminine hygiene products in middle schools, high schools and other public buildings across New York City, including hospitals, parks and cultural institutions.
“Offering free menstrual care supplies as we do toilet paper and condoms,” explained Ferreras-Copeland, “is a matter of avoiding health risks, eliminating the stigma that surrounds a natural part of a woman’s life, and for girls in school, not having to skip class because they got their period. Feminine hygiene products allow women and girls to carry out their daily responsibilities uninterrupted, and these products should always be easily accessible,” she concluded.
Ferreras-Copeland, together with New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, will introduce legislation on free feminine hygiene products next month. The council will also lobby Albany to join Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Jersey, states that have eliminated sales tax on feminine hygiene products, items that are considered medical devices by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Items like prescription drugs, sunscreen and condoms are exempt from tax in New York State under the premise that they are essential to a person’s health.
Councilwoman Ferreras-Copeland plans to complement the dispenser with an educational component for girls, their male peers, and their parents in the hope that it will start a conversation and normalize the monthly ritual. In addition, the experience of the girls will be evaluated toward the end of the year to learn about best practices and possible improvements as the legislation moves forward.
