Just like food and shelter, menstrual products are a necessity. Period poverty is a real thing that many folks face. According to the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), the high cost of menstrual products keeps one in five American teens home from school each month.
Here at the library, we are doing our part to combat period poverty by hosting a period products drive! All month long you can donate at your local branch. Donated products will go to local organizations:
- Ashland – Helping Hands Free Store
- Columbia – The Center Project and True North
- Fulton and Holts Summit – Our House shelter
To learn more about period poverty in our community check out this news story from KOMU —‘Everybody needs access to this!’: Combatting period poverty in Columbia.
If you are looking for a couple of books to read on the topic give these a try.
“Go With the Flow” by Lily Williams
Sophomores Abby, Brit, Christine, and Sasha are fed up. Hazelton High never has enough tampons. Or pads. Or adults who will listen. Sick of an administration that puts football before female health, the girls confront a world that shrugs–or worse, squirms–at the thought of a menstruation revolution. They band together to make a change. It’s no easy task, especially while grappling with everything from crushes to trig to JV track but they have each other’s backs. That is, until one of the girls goes rogue, testing the limits of their friendship and pushing the friends to question the power of their own voices. Now they must learn to work together to raise each other up. But how do you stand your ground while raising bloody hell?
“Period: Twelve Voices Tell the Bloody Truth” by various authors, edited by Kate Farrell
In this collection, writers of various ages and across racial, cultural, and gender identities share stories about the period. Each of our twelve authors brings an individual perspective and sensibility. They write about homeless periods, nonexistent periods, male periods, political periods, and more. Told with warmth and humor, these essays celebrate all kinds of period experiences.
“Period, End of Sentence: A New Chapter in the Fight for Menstrual Justice” by Anita Diamant
Melissa Berton co-produced the movie of the same title and continues her period activism with this book. She said, “A period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education.” Her book includes interviews and essays from folks all over the world who work towards menstrual justice. This isn’t just a book about period poverty—it’s a call to action.
