In the United States, only 17 states require that period products be free and accessible for all students in school. As of next school year, that includes New Jersey. But that means that in 33 US states, as well as New Jersey for the time being, young women are being left in the dust.
It may be an uncomfortable issue to talk about, but 50% of the student population suffers without access to necessary hygiene products. That’s why Jaidyn Riley — as well as Aarya Raval, Angelina Huang, Mahi Vadlamudi, Rhea Kattar, Nanditha Ram, and Alexandra Arias — took the issue to administration. They argued for accessible products for girls’ bathrooms since their freshman year — 3 years ago.
When we talked to Jaidyn Riley, the Vice President of Student Government during the 2021-2022 school year, she brought up the issue to Mr. Graber, our vice principal and Ms. Doski, the advisor for Ridge Feminist Club. Jaidyn said that the advisors she reached out to were extremely sympathetic and said they were receptive when she “[sent] countless emails and attended several meetings”. Despite their willingness to listen to Jaidyn, they said that “‘other matters [were] more important at the moment.’” The students aligned with her cause felt dismayed with the lack of action, but their efforts were not in vain. One might remember the product dispensers dispersed throughout the school that year. However, one might also remember their particular emptiness. Administration attributed this to “certain companies and product distributors.”
Even though we knew products would have to legally be available next school year, waiting wasn’t in the cards for us. Fed up with the stalling and the inaction, we took to administration’s higher ups — the Board of Education. After a very lengthy budget review, we made our case for free menstrual products. We argued that the school doesn’t ask us to “bring our own soap to stock the empty soap dispensers in school… because it’s a basic fact that schools should provide hygiene products” and female hygiene isn’t any different. We argued that having to go to the nurse’s office every time students need products is both embarrassing as it forces students to announce their menstruation, but also makes students miss a lot of class time.
We even put a basket of pads and tampons in the girls’ bathroom outside the New Gym to see what would happen. Over three days, nearly every one of our 15 products was taken incrementally. This proved that there was a need for products, and that students would act responsibly when given them.
To our pleasant surprise, our concerns were taken seriously. On March 15th, we received an email from Mr. Markarian stating that the school “should have these products in bathrooms in the next two weeks in new dispensers.” And they were! There are now fully stocked dispensers in the bathrooms outside the New Gym, in the 200 wing, in the 300 wing, and the 500 wing. Further, Dr. Lazovick also promised increased access in a Recent Ridge Report.
Regarding the dispensers within the restroom facilities, most women’s hygiene products do not fit them. Efforts are underway to source products that can accommodate the existing dispensers or explore the possibility of implementing a new system with a different provider. Ensuring it is accessible to all is essential for basic needs within the women’s restrooms; it will be covered by the end of this year.
If there’s anything to take from this kerfuffle, it’s that your school will listen to you, and that your problems matter. Jaidyn recommends that students with a cause in mind should know that “no matter how many times you have to go back and keep making your case clear, do it” because the more we speak, the more they listen.