Rep. Grace Meng's #ME4ALL Bill Would Help End Period Poverty in U.S.

NEW HAVEN, CT, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Alliance for Period Supplies, representing more than 115 local nonprofit organizations working to end period poverty in the U.S., fully supports the Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021 introduced today by Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY).

“We applaud Rep. Meng for her ongoing leadership in advancing menstrual equity. This comprehensive bill addresses the many challenges that people who menstruate face in affording and accessing the period products they require to thrive,” said Joanne Samuel Goldblum, CEO and Founder of the Alliance for Period Supplies and its parent organization the National Diaper Bank Network. “New research, released in conjunction with Period Poverty Awareness Week, shows that 2 in 5 people who menstruate (40%) report having struggled to afford period supplies. This is a shocking 35% increase since 2018. Rep. Meng’s bill will help end period poverty and ensure equitable access to these basic necessities.”

The Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021 offers a multifaceted approach to ensuring access to menstrual hygiene products. Specifically, the bill's components that include: 1) Giving states the option to use federal grant funds to provide students with free menstrual products in schools – these grants already provide funding for health and wellness efforts; 2) Incentivizing colleges and universities to implement pilot programs that provide free menstrual products to students; 3) Ensuring that incarcerated individuals and detainees in federal (including immigration detention centers), state, and local facilitates have access to free menstrual products, including requiring guidance on distribution; 4) Allowing homeless assistance providers to use grant funds that cover shelter necessities (such as blankets and toothbrushes) to also use that money to purchase menstrual products; 5) Requiring Medicaid to cover the cost of menstrual products; 6) Directing large employers (with 100 or more employees) to provide free menstrual products for their employees in the workplace; and 7) Requiring all public federal buildings, including buildings in the U.S. Capitol complex, to provide free menstrual products in restrooms.

Rep. Meng, who introduced menstrual equity bills in both 2017 and 2019, stated, “Period products are necessary and essential items for anyone who menstruates, and access to these items are a health care and human right. But too many still struggle to obtain them, and it’s shameful and unacceptable that they remain out of reach for over half the population." She added, "I am proud to continue championing this issue in Congress, and I will not stop fighting until we achieve full menstrual equity for women and girls everywhere.”

The bill was introduced on World Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28) and during Period Poverty Awareness Week (May 24 – 30, 2021).

About Alliance for Period Supplies
The Alliance for Period Supplies is an initiative of the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN)—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that leads a nationwide movement aimed at helping individuals and families who struggle to afford material basic needs. Launched in May 2018, with the support of founding sponsor U by Kotex^®, the Alliance for Period Supplies raises national awareness of period poverty (#periodpoverty) and supports the development and expansion of period supply programs in communities throughout the country. The organization is comprised of Allied Programs that collect, warehouse and distribute menstrual/period supplies in local communities. More information on Alliance for Period Supplies is available at allianceforperiodsupplies.org, and on on Twitter and Instagram (@periodsupplies) and Facebook (facebook.com/AllianceForPeriodSupplies).

Troy Moore
National Diaper Bank Network
+1 203-295-7987
email us here

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.