As of July 2022, all Connecticut public schools serving students in grades 4-12 must provide accesibility to free period products in restrooms. Not having menstrual products readily available interrupts students’ ability to learn, and when girls and women have access to safe and affordable sanitary materials to manage their menstruation, they decrease their risk of infections. At Choate, there have yet to be free feminine hygiene products available in dorms.
Recently, student council representatives Robert Haik ’25, Ivie Ojor ’25, and Ava Maha ’23 have collaborated on a proposal calling for accessible period products in dorms. Haik describes the policy as “improving/changing the brand of menstruation products and installing dispensers within dorms.”
As Student Council President, Maha shared her perspective on the administrative side on this new policy. She prefaced that the policy was “still in the process, and the enacting will probably take place next year.” Her role has been focused on guiding Haik and Ojor, who haven taken the lead in the proposal, while Maha pushes along for the administrative side.
Maha recognized that “there is a lack of quality period products both in campus bathrooms and in dorm rooms, and nobody has done anything about it.” She also shared, “Students are ordering online or going to Walmart, which is quite inconvenient especially if there’s any financial issues meaning a student can’t afford that, or going to the School Store … I really just think this will help students feel secure in all areas of campus.”
Ultimately, most people in the Health Center and the administration “are on board with the project,” she noted, understanding the importance of it. However, the proposal has encountered a few issues. For example, one of the sustainable companies they were hoping to work with, August, didn’t fit the dimensions of the current dispensers that Choate has in dorms. These complications are currently getting sorted out.
Haik notes that his idea for this policy started when “initially, a peer of mine came up to me. She was concerned about the quality of the free menstruation products and the tampon prices at the Choate store.”
After seeking out faculty and Maha, the proposal evolved into addressing the main issue: the quality of the free tampons/pads. While the policy has not been fully passed, Haik recognized that “everyone agrees change is needed and have been very supportive so far.” Haik’s intention for making this policy was to ultimately “provide high-quality menstruation products across campus. Students who are unable to afford their own products can now rely on comfortable and sustainable products from the comfort of their dorms.”
Mr. Michael Velez ’00, as part of the administration, recites more about the new policy. His role, he noted humbly, “was pretty limited. Both the Health Services team and Student Council brought this initiative forward and are in collaboration on making it possible.”
In addition, he expressed that the new policy would “allow the school to offer greater education on healthcare topics while also offering greater accessibility to these products.” He added, “Dr. [Miriam] Cohen brought the idea forward to some senior administrators at the school,” and how the Student Council went through their typical proposal process and shared it with him after it was passed.
From there, the conversation went to the Senior Officers of the school for further discussion about approvals, collecting more information, and possible implementation steps.
While the policy has not been enacted yet, there are bright hopes ahead for its potential to be very helpful for girls at Choate. The root of this change has led to new ideas and success in finding ways to solve the predicament. By next year, the new menstruation product policy will reach new heights.
