All women between the ages of 13 and 51 experience menstruation- a biological factor that women cannot control. At Florida State University, this population not only includes students, but also professors, staff, visitors, and transgender individuals who embody our population. As a public institution, Florida State University has the responsibility to allow all individuals to feel welcome and safe, to be able to study and work freely without the stigma and inconvenience associated with menstruation. Periods are the equalizer that all women have in common, yet we all have vastly different access to feminine hygiene products. With the average cost that a single woman will spend on feminine hygiene products in her lifetime being upwards of $17,000, we are urging Florida State University to realize how critical it is for women to have access to essential period products. This petition is not just about the finances associated with menstruation though. Menstruation affects our freedom to work, study, and move about the world with basic dignity. We are petitioning that part of the annual fiscal budget (which is over $13,000,000) be used to purchase and install free feminine hygiene product dispensers on campus, in women's restrooms and single-stall bathroom facilities.

At FSU, there are free condom dispensers located visibly throughout campus, yet for a period (which a woman cannot control) we do not have access to basic feminine hygiene products without the inconvenience of missing class, potentially having to leave campus or drop what we are doing, in order to change clothes or purchase period products, to feel comfortable and free from persecution, unless we would rather potentially bleed through our clothing and face stigma and embarrassment from our peers.

The monthly costs associated with periods add up for women, but especially those women who may otherwise not be able to afford these essential products, for a biological function women cannot control. We are encouraging the Student Government Association to allow all women on our campus to have access to free feminine hygiene products, to allow for a more comfortable, productive, and dignifying experience here at Florida State University.

Thank you for taking time to read and support this effort.

For comparison, here is the standing on free condoms, according to University Health Services at Florida State University: 
"FREE condoms are available at University Health Services during our normal operating hours to all students and staff. Additional locations on campus include the Hispanic & Latino Student Union (HLSU), the Black Student Union (BSU), the Women’s Center and PRIDE. We offer Trojan, Lifestyle and Durex brands, female condoms and non-latex options. FSU student organizations may request a bulk of 50 condoms for specific events and initiatives."