Menstrual hygiene: why it matters to everyone, even if you don’t need it
By Nadav Konforty ’20, Contributing Writer
Editor’s note: the views expressed on the Opinion pages are those of our writers and are not necessarily representative of the Editorial Board.
Alright, I suggest taking a seat, because this one is going to be a doozie. But first, my name is Nadav Konforty, and I am a class representative for the Class of 2020 on Student Assembly. Also, I want to start off by saying that I speak from my own experiences, learnings, and knowledge as a white cis queer man, and I most certainly do not intend to speak for anyone but myself.
Since last spring, I have worked with members of my class delegation to try to ensure that everyone has access to complimentary menstrual products. This initiative, the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative (MHI), was brought to Student Assembly last spring by now class president, Cesar Guerrero ’20, after studying how the initiative was implemented at Brown University.
Some may have noticed how I do not say “Feminine Hygiene Initiative” when talking about MHI, and I am happy you noticed. This is because calling it that would not be representative of reality. Not all women have periods. And many people who are not women have periods, as well. So we opted to call it the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative to capitalize on the fact that these are not feminine products, but menstrual products. They are not attached to femininity, nor is their purpose for femininity. Because trans people exist, as well as non-binary people and others who menstruate who are neither man nor woman, we chose not to label these products as solely “feminine.” And that is totally cool.
Once the MHI funding was passed and the products ordered, our class delegation worked tirelessly to organize a system in which volunteers would help install and carry out MHI on campus. The goal was to have all non-residential bathrooms equipped with menstrual hygiene products. At the moment, all bathrooms in first floor non-residential buildings should have these products in small dishes under a poster explaining the initiative.
As I stated at the last Student Assembly meeting on Sept. 18 (and I highly suggest you read the Minutes from that night), it came to my attention that in the men’s bathrooms, the signs and products from this initiative were vandalized, torn down, and thrown out. I immediately scanned my mind for what could have possibly happened. After learning that other instances like this were only occurring in men’s bathrooms, my delegation and I came to the conclusion that it had not been a mistake of the cleaning staff, and that this was probably intentional.
When the Class of 2020 proposed the initiative to the Central Council of the Student Assembly, we most certainly faced pushback. There were those that thought that it was not proper to (1) fund menstrual hygiene products, and (2) put them in men’s bathrooms. Granted the people who believed this were a minority and the funding passed anyways, but these two concerns speak to the exact reasons behind why the campus needs this initiative.
Why do we have the MHI? Well, though I do not have periods, I must say it really would suck if I were in class or studying one day and realized my period had started. Moreover, if I were quite shy, did not know anyone around, and was far from my dorm at the time, then it would really suck to have to ask someone for a pad or tampon. So the main reason we have it is to provide a safety net for our fellow peers that menstruate and occasionally forget to put a pad or tampon in their bag. Sounds fair enough? I hope so. Because if you do not menstruate and still think you should be punished for forgetting menstrual products by having to deal with a period stain, then you need to just stop. Because, frankly, you are just being inconsiderate. The school already has an abundance of condoms (mainly ones that go on penises, I might add) to act as a safety net for safe sex, so you should be alright with people who menstruate getting a tiny safety net for those days where one wakes up five minutes before class and forgets to bring a pad or tampon.
But still, people may ask, “Nadav, why are there tampons in the men’s bathrooms?” Well, for one, I put them there. And two, because some men get periods. Deal with it. That is just how it is. Some trans-men, for example, get periods. And it would be wrong to try to confine these men to the non-gendered bathrooms only and not allow them that right to use the men’s bathroom if they are, in fact, a man. Moreover, it would be unfair of the Student Assembly to give only some of our menstruating peers that safety net and not others. We are the Student Assembly for all of our peers, not some of them.
Part of my issue with the vandalism of the MHI in men’s bathrooms is that it brings up a big question — are non-cis people allowed to exist on campus? If people do not think that the basic bodily functions and needs of certain individual should be met or aided in public spaces, then that articulates the message that those people are not allowed to exist in public spaces at Hamilton. Just let that simmer in your mind; do you believe that we should help every single person on this campus regardless of their gender identity or whether or not they have periods? If the answer is no and you do not believe the community should take care of its own, then I, personally, strongly question what you are doing here, because that goes against our core values as a community. We help and stand up for our own.
We have gotten so much positive feedback on the MHI and I cannot express how happy we are to hear that people appreciate the time and effort that went into this project. I knew going into this that there would be some people who were uncomfortable with the topic it sought to address. If you are uncomfortable with the MHI then I have this to say to you; come talk to me. My email is nkonfort@hamilton.edu. I am more than willing to keep the conversation going. In fact, I want to. I want people to understand and learn about the diverse campus we have and why it is important to take care of everyone.
