The New Hampshire House voted in favor of a bill that would require all female and gender-neutral bathrooms in middle and high schools in the state to stock free menstrual products. NEA-NH strongly supported this bill.
The bill was spearheaded by 17-year-old Spaulding High School student Caroline Dillon of Rochester.
“By most measures, we offer some of the highest quality of living measures in the country,” said Megan Tuttle, NEA-NH President. “But in New Hampshire, some middle and high school girls have to either miss school because of their monthly periods or leave class to go to the nurse’s office and wait in line to get access to feminine hygiene products.”
Going to the nurse a few times a day for feminine hygiene products takes away from instructional time and detracts from a students’ rights to an education.
“At its core, it is an issue of dignity for the student. It’s time to end period poverty and the period stigma. We believe that feminine hygiene is a right, not a privilege, and that every person should be able to discover and reach their full potential, regardless of a natural need. Lack of access to feminine hygiene products creates a barrier to equal opportunity in education,” said Tuttle. “Our public schools have an obligation to serve every student equitably, and this bill allows us to keep the promise of a quality education for ALL students.”