At the reputedly progressive Smith College, an all-woman’s institution in Northampton, Massachusetts, student Jade Mosley challenges the school’s liberal credentials in an article for The Sophian. She contends that the college has not gone far enough in addressing menstrual hygiene accessibility, calling for period supplies to be installed in men’s bathrooms on campus.
Mosley raises the question of why pad and tampon dispensers are absent from the house and public restrooms at Smith College, despite these products being available at the campus bookstore. She argues that the college should provide more than just acknowledgment and take concrete steps to improve menstrual hygiene accessibility.
“House bathrooms and other public restrooms on campus are not equipped with pad or tampon dispensers. While these products are sold at the Smith College Bookstore in a spot central to campus, surely, taking menstruation seriously means doing more than just acknowledging that some students do it. If students are guaranteed access to toilet paper, hand soap, and paper towels in any given restroom, why not menstrual products? All of these materials serve the purpose of maintaining hygiene. Only one is more expensive than the rest. Students are not expected to trek halfway across campus for toilet paper, and it stands to reason that they should not have to do so for pads or tampons. So, what can be done?,” she writes.
In her view, if students have guaranteed access to toilet paper, hand soap, and paper towels in restrooms, they should also have access to menstrual products, which serve a similar purpose of maintaining hygiene.
The student insists that Smith College should lead by recognizing periods as a common and natural cycle among those with uteruses, necessitating hygienic care. She believes that high-quality menstrual products should be readily available in the college’s restrooms so that students can access them whenever needed.
Mosley emphasizes that these products should be provided in sufficient quantities to avoid shortages in any bathroom, be it an individual toilet or one with multiple stalls.
Mosley cites examples of other colleges, such as the University of Minnesota and the University of Washington, that have made progress in providing free menstrual products in campus restrooms since 2007.
She points out that these institutions prove that higher education establishments can offer free menstrual products to students, and choosing not to do so sends a clear message of indifference toward menstruating students’ well-being.
Despite Smith College’s dedication to advancing women’s progress, Mosley argues that the administration is falling short in addressing gender issues. She cautions that attending a historically women’s college does not guarantee protection from gendered societal problems, and Smith is not immune to the widespread consequences of period poverty.
Mosley concludes that supporting students with diverse identities demands institutional action, even if it’s as simple as providing for the hygienic needs of the student body. In her view, Smith College must take these issues seriously to live up to its progressive reputation.
Source: AWM
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