PHOENIX — Free access to feminine hygiene products for many school children is what one bill in the Arizona legislature intends to do.
The idea is to have tampons and pad dispensers in school bathrooms for grades 6-12. Advocates want the dispensers to be coin-free.
Bonnie Mort, Sewell Elementary’s community liaison in the Tucson Unified School District knows firsthand that students and families could use help.
“A lot of things that I do here, I did because I wanted to make sure there were no barriers for our students to come to school,” said Mort.
Mort organizes the school’s community closet and food bank.
“We try to get a variety of things,” Mort said.
And that includes feminine hygiene products, like tampons and pads.
“Although our resource centers here at TUSD does provide them or our health offices, we have toiletry drives here at the school where families that can afford things contribute, our staff contributes,” Mort said.
Mort said “period poverty” is an issue across the U.S. and in Arizona and SB1675 would help students get better access to feminine hygiene products.
“They don't want to ask their teacher depending on their teacher’s gender, you know, I need to go in the nurse's office for this reason and that will get rid of that stigma,” Mort said.
The bill has passed through the education committee and Senator Mitzi Epstein sponsoring the bill said the goal is to get it put into the state's education budget.
“We want to eliminate the stigma and have the actual products, where and when girls need them so that they can get right back to class,” said Epstein.
Mort said the impact it has on students to be able to provide them with what they need is huge.
“It's never anything small like I get it. I get it as a mom, I get it as a former TUSD student- I understand. So, I hope that comes through to our parents and our students,” said Mort.
