Problem
"(Women) not only earn less than men, on average, but they also often pay more for purchases or get less for what they spend. This markup on goods and services marketed to women has become known as the #PinkTax." (https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/8a42df04-8b6d-4949-b20b-6f40a326db9e/the-pink-tax---how-gender-based-pricing-hurts-women-s-buying-power.pdf …)

#PinkTax

is the phenomenon in which products and services marketed to women cost more, 42% of the time (U.S. News & World Report). On top of costing more, companies have employed a marketing tactic called “shrink it and pink it,” decreasing quantity of product per packaging and changing the color.

#PeriodPoverty

is when menstruating females are unable to afford basic sanitary/menstrual health products (MHPs) that help mitigate period symptoms and manage bleeding.

According to experts, period poverty impacts millions of people in the U.S. and around the world, especially poor women and traditionally marginalized communities (NY Daily News).

"From the UK to sub-Saharan Africa, as many as one in 10 girls misses school because of menstruation and insufficient resources to manage it properly. And in rural Nepal, women are frequently banished from their homes every month, sometimes dying in menstrual huts (NY Daily News).'"

The high cost and lack of accessibility to MHPs forces females to wear tampons/pads for longer than recommended, putting them at high risk for cervical cancer or infections like toxic shock syndrome (TSS). These impediments have resulted in missed class time--even full school days (SheThinx.com).

#GenderEquity in the U.S.

In many states, menstrual hygiene products are still taxed as “luxury” products and not as medical necessities (Now This News).

"Indeed, the tampon tax is just one of many ways in which women and feminine-presenting people are financially penalized. On top of that, women's versions of gendered products tend to be more expensive, and women pay more for healthcare, largely due to high cost of birth control and pregnancy. Add this to the pay gap, and women in the U.S. generally end up facing more financial burdens than men do (Bustle.com)."

#FreePeriods on Campus

Universities like NYU and U of Washington, among others, have established programs providing MHPs to students and low income communities, advocating for menstrual hygiene as a right, and challenging the stigma surrounding periods.

Current tampon/pad dispensers on campus require payment and are non-functioning. The campus Health Center protocol for a student with menstrual needs is to provide only one days worth of products.

FUSA launched a successful pilot program back in 2016, but has since been at a stand-still in full implementation.


Solution
We are requesting that Fairfield University stock sufficient amounts of tampons and pads in on-campus restrooms (including those located in dormitories) to provide for each menstruating student, and available free of charge.


Personal story
We are students of Fairfield University who recognize gendered price discrimination and lack of access to MHPs as impediments to gender equity in the U.S. Our mission is to not only spread awareness of these issues but also to mitigate the effects of gender inequity on campus and in the surrounding community by advocating for female biological needs and promoting donations of female sanitary products to low-income areas...

Because females should not be penalized for having a period.

However, our goal can only be made possible by reducing the stigma surrounding natural occurrences of the female body and initiating inclusive conversations about menstruation.

Follow our periodical updates here: https://twitter.com/PriceofPink_FU