CARLISLE, Pa. — May is National Menstrual Health Awareness Month. Lawmakers, advocates, and nonprofits are pushing to find more ways to provide free period products to women who need them.
Representative Carol Hill-Evans State House Speaker Joanna McClinton and several representatives gathered in the Capitol Rotunda to call on the passage of two bills. Officials at YWCA Carlisle & Cumberland County say that those two bills are strongly needed.
House Bill 851 would provide menstrual hygiene products accessibility through a grant program in public schools. It was passed in the House and is soon headed to the governor's desk to be signed. However, House Bill 850 was passed through the House and referred to a Senate committee last summer.
“When you fast-forward to the fact that in 2024 so many of the young ladies in our community, do not have what they need and it’s no fault of their own,” said Rep. Joanna McClinton, PA House Speaker.
While lawmakers continue to push to get the bills implemented, nonprofits like YWCA Carlisle & Cumberland County have been offering free period products to people who need them free of charge for decades.
“Here in our county, we see from the school districts that girls are reporting that they don’t have enough money. Their families still have enough money to be able to buy products,” said Maddie Young, President & CEO of YWCA Carlisle & Cumberland County.
The “Pad Pantry” is a dresser found in the front lobby of the YWCA that people can walk in and grab what they need, any time they would like. The products are donated through drives and partnering organizations, but sometimes staff will pay for products to make sure the pantry is stocked. On average, it costs $500 to maintain the Pad Pantry. Young said that the need for these products has been increasing every year.
“Inflation is a big problem because people don’t have enough money for food and products and so we’re seeing that there’s a big increase,” said Young.
According to the YWCA, one in six women and girls (ages 12-44) in Pennsylvania live below the poverty line. Young said that this number is contributing to Period Poverty and causing significant impacts on those who have periods.
Young and other organizations who have been providing menstrual products to women say bills like HB850 and HB851 are needed.
Senate Bill 906, also known as the Menstrual Equity Act, looks to provide disposal period products at no cost to public schools, colleges, shelters, and more. Lawmakers are asking for $3 million in funding to provide products in facilities that offer support, such as the YWCA.
“A bill like this is a game changer. It allows girls and women to have the products they need to get through the day so that they continue to go to school they continue to go to work. They continue to take care of families and they’re able to function.”
Download the FOX43 app here.