You have been hearing the buzz about “free feminine hygiene products on campus.” You have watched Nancy Kramer’s TED Talk, which launched the national #FreeTheTampons moment. YOU are ready to take action and help YOUR campus join the menstrual movement. Regardless if you are a student, faculty member, parent, or random passionate feminist….
HERE IS A GUIDE TO HELP YOU GET STARTED.
Who should I talk to about offering free menstrual products on campus?
The best place to start is with your Student Government. Student Government can purchase menstrual products to run a small-scale menstrual product program or purchase the first batch of Aunt Flow Dispensers. In tandem, we will work with administration to allocate a budget for a longterm, sustainable solution.
What should I say when talking to the student government or faculty?
ALWAYS use data. Thankfully, we have this nice FACT SHEET for you to print and share. While we agree that offering menstrual products is the right thing to do, it is important to demonstrate to the school the “return on investment” of offering free menstrual products.
What kind of budget do we need to set aside?
There are two types of investments to consider for a menstrual product program. For a full quote from Aunt Flow, fill out the “Get a Quote” form.
Initial Investment (one-time)
- ESTROGEN Aunt Flow® Dispenser
- Order one for each bathroom (female, gender neutral, and family)
- Free-vend, menstrual product dispenser
- Mechanical delay to reduce overuse
- 2-year warranty
- ADA compliant
Recurring Investment
- Menstrual Products: Budget $15-$10 per female student, per year (Price estimate based on current Aunt Flow Product Cost Analysis, 2020).
Where can we get the funds?
The ultimate goal is to get the university to fund the program with either their facilities budget or student life budget. To fund an initial purchase of dispensers + product for high-traffic buildings, funding may come from:
- Women’s alumni associations
- Student Government
- Student organizations: women’s groups, LGBT, Boo Radley
- Campus green initiatives if your school decides to stock non-applicator tampons (58% less waste!; statistic based on internal research and sustainability testing, conducted in 2019)
- Period Inc. works with organizations to advocate for funding
Who is in charge of stocking the restrooms?
At a high level, the tampons should be treated the same as toilet paper. Whomever is responsible for ordering and restocking toilet paper is responsible for doing the same for menstrual products. NOTE – Students should NOT be responsible for restocking the product. Students are paying to LEARN, not to manage facilities.
Which bathrooms should we stock?
We believe that menstrual products should be offered for everyone, thus, we believe it is important to female, gender neutral, and family bathrooms in all academic buildings.
Do we need a dispenser, or can we just use a box?
Universities have used both dispensers and boxes and we have observed the most success with a free-vend menstrual product dispenser. One of the most common concerns around offering freely accessible menstrual products is overuse or “theft.” The ESTROGEN Aunt Flow® dispenser offers a mechanical delay to reduce overuse.
In addition, an investment in a dispenser is a clear demonstration that the menstrual product program is there to STAY.
Will people take more products than what they need?
There will be a large influx of usage during the first 3 months of offering free product. This is typical with any new “freebie” — When a company starts offering free soda, people will hoard the soda with a scarcity mentality. After 3 months, people understand that the products are always available and the usage will decrease. Only 16% of menstruators report relying solely on their workplace supply of menstrual products as their only supply (based on a survey of Aunt Flow Corp. customers, conducted in 2019).
Ready get started? GET A QUOTE FROM AUNT FLOW.
Aunt Flow supports hundreds of businesses and schools with the implementation of a menstrual product program. Princeton University, Columbus School for Girls, and hundreds of other schools choose Aunt Flow because of our patent-pending dispenser, quality products, and commitment to changing the world one ‘cycle’ at a time.
