25 NYC Public Schools Will Provide Free Tampons To Students

So far, March has been a good month for New Yorkers who use tampons. Not only is the state considering the end of the tampon tax, according to the New York Daily News, New York City began a pilot program to provide high schoolers with free tampons, too. By the end of the month, 25 public schools in the boroughs of Queens and the Bronx will have implemented the program. The Daily News reports City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland put this change in motion when she had a single tampon and pad dispenser installed at the High School for Arts and Business in Queens. After receiving nothing but praise from students and staff alike, she knew this would be a welcome change elsewhere. Ferreras-Copeland chose the schools for the pilot program based on the needs of the students.“Girls in these districts face the greatest financial hardships,” she tells the Daily News, adding that free tampons would prevent them from missing class time or feeling self-conscious about their periods. This is also why the tampons will be provided via a dispenser — other schools already offer free tampons and pads in the nurse's office, but that isn't nearly as helpful as simply having them available when and where girls need them. As one high schooler tells the Daily News, “you feel more confident and don’t feel as nervous" when using dispensers. If this program goes over well, it may expand to many more high schools and even middle schools in NYC. Hopefully, this is a glimpse of our ideal future, where there's a free tampon dispenser in every public restroom. After all, it's customary for bathrooms to provide toilet paper, why not feminine hygiene products?