In 2017 California passed The Menstrual Equity for All Act, requiring all California 6-12 schools to provide free menstrual products to their students. Berkeley High School bathrooms, however, often lack sufficient supply of available menstrual products. In response, BHS Sophomore Class Leadership is hosting a period product drive to provide period products to classrooms.
“Anytime the dispensers are refilled, they are taken down and all the stuff is thrown on the ground or thrown in the trash,” said Sophomore Class President, Sophia Nishioka. Even though the school is supplying the pads and tampons, they don’t refill dispensers often, and when they do, the products are gone and damaged, according to Nishioka.
The drive started on Monday, April 22, 2024, and they have been gathering products to put in classrooms for those who need them. Sophomore Class Leadership got the idea from a teacher supplying menstrual products to his students. “Our chem teacher Mr. Rozen has a big stack of supplies, and he has pads and tampons which a lot of people use,” Nishioka said.
Maia Wachtel, a teacher in Berkeley International High School, has had feminine hygiene products in her classroom for six years. In her opinion, “(Having products in the classroom) might reduce anxiety over finding products that students need.”
According to Emi Parker, a BHS freshman, period products in classrooms help to reduce students’ anxiety levels. “Whenever I start my period or I forget to pack my tampons, my anxiety levels for sure spike because I know there won’t be any in the bathroom,” Parker said.
The drive is also looking to find a way to reach out to parents so that they can help donate. With parents and students donating, Sophomore Class Leadership hopes to continue providing accessible menstrual products to students.