Menstrual Equity Project
As a first step towards working collaboratively with the administration of Loyola University Chicago, a proposal was submitted to the Student Innovation Fund. This proposal outlined our research and proposed budgets for Loyola to begin providing free pads and tampons in on-campus restrooms. Maps pictured below show the original bathrooms that students were consistently stocking with free products before the university took over the project.
What Progress Has been made?
Marking the first major success of an SRJ initiative, the Student Innovation Fund has funded our Pads & Tampon Campaign for a trial semester. At the end of the Spring 2018 semester, the organizers and Office of the Vice President evaluated student feedback to determine the future of the project. The overwhelmingly positive response from students has already been incredibly beneficial to SRJ's case on this project.
During the 2019-2020 academic year, SRJ succeeded in getting Loyola administration to take over the project for good. Loyola will now be responsible for supplying and stocking the pads and tampons in all the first floor Men’s, Women’s and gender neutral restrooms.
As of the fall of 2022, facilities was dedicated to stocking all the first floor bathrooms on Lake Shore Campus as well as installing permanent hardware to hold the products. You can now find a map of all gender neutral restrooms on campus, along with the University’s statement on providing menstrual products on all first floor bathrooms at: https://www.luc.edu/facilities/resources/
Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, SRJ will be working with the university to efficiently stock all restrooms with products in permanent dispensers. Keep an eye out on our social media for updates on this takeover.
What products are we using?
In order to promote the multitude of causes and beliefs under the umbrella of reproductive justice, SRJ was conscious of choosing products not only better for those who menstruate but also for the environment. With the assistance of the Student Environmental Alliance, SRJ picked products that are more environmentally sustainable, reducing plastic waste by approximately 35% over traditional products.
Natracare products are made from natural materials, animal friendly and vegetarian approved, gynaecologist recommended, sustainably sourced, multi-award winning, certified organic AND Totally Chlorine Free (TCF).
Why pads and tampons?
As an organization, we understand the intersections between various aspects of one's identity and their ability to access care. With pads and tampons specifically, these goods are not only cost prohibitive but we would like to shift the general perception towards the idea that they are just as necessary as toilet paper, which an institution like a university readily provides free of charge. Additionally, we want these products to be readily available to all individuals that menstruate. Therefore, in our proposal we outlined the number of women's, men's, and gender neutral restrooms in which we want these products to be provided.
University Takeover of the Menstrual Equity Project
With the University’s takeover of the Menstrual Equity Project, they have chosen to utilize a different distributor of pads for cost reasons. We are continuously working with the University to provide the best products possible for our students.