Boston Schools To Offer Students Free Menstrual Supplies

The Greater Boston area continues to make strides in curbing the menstrual supply debate after announcing that free feminine hygiene supplies will be offered in dozens of its schools.

The program offering supplies to 77 Boston Public Schools will be launched in the fall of 2019, the school district and city’s mayor announced in a joint press release. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh says the program is about valuing students and providing them with the resources they need.

The pilot portion of the program is funded by a $100,000 investment that will be added to the city’s 2020 budget. To begin, the program will deliver menstrual products to the nurse’s offices of schools that teach students in grades 6 to 12. After the pilot period, certain teachers will be selected to distribute the school’s menstrual supplies to classes.

A town near Boston recently made headlines for an initiative that will make it the first municipality in the U.S. to require free menstrual hygiene supplies in public restrooms. The rule will go into effect in Brookline, Massachusetts, by July 1, 2021 at the latest.

Studies show just how impactful a lack of menstrual supply offerings in public settings can be to girls and women. A recent survey from the Always feminine hygiene brand found that nearly one in five girls in the U.S. have missed school while on their period due to a lack of hygienic offerings.