What community group are you working with to distribute the donation?
Love For Red
Their mission is to alleviate period poverty through charitable donations, education, and advocacy.
Follow them on Instagram!
Why is it important to address this issue in your community?
In our community, the issue of period stigma and menstrual inequity is not talked about, so many believe it is not an issue affecting our community. Through one part of Love For Red’s work, donating menstrual products to middle and high schools to provide Iowa students with free menstrual products, Love For Red has found this belief is not the case. Even in the most privileged school districts in Iowa, students are in constant need of these products due to inaccessibility, but this isn’t seen from the surface due to the lack of conversation. In fact, 1 in 5 teens have struggled to afford period products or was not able to purchase them at all, causing over 80% of them to miss school or know someone else who has. Also, students who menstruate risk missing upwards of 9 weeks or 1/4 of the school year. It is important to address this issue in our community because students who face this obstacle of inaccessibility of menstrual products are suffering in silence and risk missing school which can have negative impacts on their academic success. Through addressing this issue, this obstacle can be eliminated to ensure all Iowa students have an equitable opportunity for academic success.
What are you doing as an elected official to support policy measures that impact period product access?
I have co-sponsored legislation to make free period products available. I have provided support and information to help Love For Red host their first advocacy day at the capitol. I have advocated for this issue with my colleagues.
Follow Sen. Trone Garriott on LinkedIn and Instagram!