City Council pushes for increased access to menstrual products

Councilor Essaibi-George’s resolution to support the I Am bill in honor of Women’s History Month was adopted this week by the Council.

The I Am bill, an act to increase access to disposable menstrual products in prisons, homeless shelters, and public schools will provide free menstrual products to all menstruating persons in Massachusetts within those facilities.

In a survey published last year in the Journal of Women’s Reproductive Health, results showed that the lack of access to menstrual products lead to students missing, being late or leaving school early.

According to MassNOW, 56% of school nurses reported observing students missing school to obtain menstrual products, and only a quarter of our homeless shelters provide menstrual products.

Last year, the Boston City Council passed a budget which included funding for a free menstrual products pilot in 77 Boston Public Schools.