How to Build a Menstruation Station at Your School | Edutopia

Nearly one in four students struggles to afford period supplies, which has a major impact on their ability to learn. Schools can help.

There are 800 million people in the world menstruating at this very moment. Many menstruators, especially teenagers, struggle with period poverty, or the lack of access to period supplies and education. Nearly one in four students has struggled to access period supplies during the last school year, and nearly 80 percent either have missed class time themselves or know someone who has missed class time because of their lack of access to appropriate supplies. The data make it clear: Having access to clean and free period products helps menstruators stay in school and focus on learning.

Schools and teachers can play an important role in combating period poverty. If a student enters class without a pencil, I provide them with a pencil so they can engage in our learning activities. We can adopt the same attitude toward period products. Simply put: Period products are school supplies. So, how can we ensure that our school-aged menstruators can access products when they need them? Our solution was to build a classroom “menstruation station,” a place where all students who need them can access free period products.

Read more from Sarah Milianta-Laffin here: How to Build a Menstruation Station at Your School | Edutopia