Local Girl Scout push for expanding access to feminine hygiene products in schools deserves to be made into law

In Iowa a bill for an act providing for access to feminine hygiene products in public school restrooms for grades 6-12th, Girl Scouts of Troop 6117 in Cedar Falls is seeking participants to Support Iowa House File 883 to provide free period products in Iowa public school bathrooms by signing the petition to get the bill passed as soon as possible to show the committees that this is an issue people care about and shouldn’t be ignored. 

This issue has been a rising issue for a couple years, starting in 2022 when Troop 6117 of the Girl Scouts were eighth graders at Holmes Junior High and started to raise their own funds through their cookie sales for their “Need Comfort, Period” Silver Award scout project. The five junior Cedar Falls Girl Scouts leading this effort this year are Abigail Mott, Addi Bumblaskas, Lennon Michel and Elle Smith. 

What is the purpose and vision for Girls Need Confort, Period?

“We are trying to get better quality products into the bathrooms as well as making the products more accessible to girls instead of only being available in the nurse’s office.” 

—Mott

Why did your group choose to take on this project?

“Initially this project came about because as soon as we went to middle school at Holmes Junior High, we noticed the dispensers that the products came out of were always lower quality, and, in my opinion, the products themselves were outdated, so we figured we’d be the best ones to do something about this issue.”

—Smith

“Understanding the stigma and being able to talk about the subject is a big reason we started this project since most girls aren’t going to ask a teacher or take away from their class time to walk all the way to the office.”

—Bumblaskas

What were your first steps in this project?

“In the 2022-2023 school year we did a test run and  set up mini baskets with a variety of products to see if people would utilize them. We provided this for two years at Holmes and three years at Peet—spending $100 to continue to stock five bathrooms per school. Without a doubt, the best results were in the girls locker room at Holms and Peet since people went in and out constantly due to gym classes. We kept the trend for the rest of that school year, refilling the baskets during every meeting we had. That summer we also raised money to provide products in the Cedar Falls Library, but after not being able to afford stocking the library the company Flow took over.”  

—Mott

How is the CF district involved in this, and how were they able to help, and what are the plans moving forward?

“For the silver award project, after speaking with the superintendent, they gave us access to higher quality products in the nurse’s office, but that isn’t what the main idea of what our project is for. We’re asking for free high quality products in the bathrooms. Upon research, United Way said that  37 percent of Iowa households cannot afford just the basic,simple, cost of living things such as these products.”

—Michel 

Impact of this issue being turned into a bill in Iowa?

“We have contacted the school board a lot about the project and what we found is the reason that the school board didn’t want to give us free products was because no other schools in Iowa but ours raised any concerns, or we are doing this already. It’s our job as Girl Scouts to take on that responsibility and try to move forward and attempt to lead the whole state into getting free products into school bathrooms.”

—Smith

Smith was a guest speaker at Women’s Leadership on April 30, and here are some of her key points:

I attended the last women’s leadership meeting to gain insight for more information from a presentation on her mission to complete her gold award on period poverty by Smith.

“I’ve been a Girl Scout for about 12 years now, and one of my favorite parts is being someone who makes the change, so I think being one of the first schools back in 2022 to do this is a really big reason I’m a Girl Scout and makes me feel accomplished as well. This project is my golden award project, which only 5 percent of Girl Scouts achieve. The gold award is organizing a sustainable project that is then continued after you step away from it. 

“For example, a food pantry still has to be stocking up on food after I finish complaining about the food pantry. The silver project was successful, but not to the extent that me and my group intended, so I took action, and for my golden award project I am supporting this issue through education and advocacy. 

“Education is important for girls. That’s why we all go to school and learn and should have to worry or miss as much class time due to not having access to resources we need. Just like I couldn’t go through my day without a pencil, or how schools provide soap and paper towels for hygiene purposes to wash hands, the government should fund period products for girls. I would also like to add that I’ve done this same speech for the women’s club and other organizations, and I’m always amazed when the elderly—especially men in their 60’s-70’s—come up to me and fully support.

“I personally have done lots of research and conducted my own on this topic. A survey at Holmes in 2022 found 75 percent of girls have been in a situation where they didn’t have what they needed and had to use a substitute.

“There are currently thousands of girls who have to miss school monthly due to their struggles with period poverty. In fact, a study called State of a Period in 2023 by skdk period.org and Thinx (a period product seller) found that 23 percent of girls can’t afford period products, with Thinx saying 700 girls missing a day of school a year due to being unable to afford or have access to period products. 

“Data from Cambridge Public Schools in Massachusetts did a study that proved that the  cost of supplying menstrual products is approximately $2.48 per menstruating student annually which suggests that implementing free menstrual product programs in all U.S. public schools would cost around $60 million per year; 60 million is only a small amount of the total education budget. States like Minnasota, Ohio and New Jersey have mandated that all school districts and charter schools provide free period products in restrooms used by students in grades 4 to 12, with funding included in the state budget.”

“Iowa has a bill trying to pass through regarding free period products in public schools. This bill anonymously passed through the education level, which is shocking since no one spoke on it in the hearing. As of now, the bill is at a stand still in a subcommittee not being debated on as it currently is working through budget cuts and how they would fund all the bills being processed. Unfortunately the last day to make a final decision is May 7, so this bill is likely to pass next year and hopefully make it pass legislation.” 

Closing points:

Ohio, Illinois, New York, California, Utah and 23 other states already have legislation or are in the process to make products free in schools.  In Iowa the legislation is in the works, and unfortunately our representatives in Iowa aren’t aware of how big of a deal the bill actually is. With your voice you can help the Girl Scouts advocate for this cause with Smith’s petition she started on change.org. To help Smith and the Girl Scouts, please consider signing her petition and possibly donating to their efforts to supply CF schools with free period products.