The SGA placed baskets of pads and tampons in every girls’ bathroom across the building Dec. 12. 

The SGA introduced its new project, “Ladies,” in response to student frustration about the lack of available feminine hygiene products at school. Senior Maddie Menkes spearheaded the initiative with SGA advisor Katherine Young, assistant principal Michelle Lipson and several other students in the SGA.  

“The whole purpose behind ‘Ladies’ was to alleviate the disproportionate access to menstruation products for women [and] students who are non-gender or transitioning,” said sophomore Nada Fadul, a member of the committee. 

With the new baskets placed inside the bathrooms, students don’t have to experience the discomfort of going to the nurse’s office or leaving school early for a pad, said junior Grace McGuire, another committee member.

Student response to the new products has been positive, Fadul said. Many students took to social media in the last month to express their gratitude for the movement. 

“Periods come out of nowhere sometimes, so [this project] is perfect and convenient,” junior Anais Meier said. “It makes me so genuinely happy that [SGA] would take money out of their budget to provide period products.” 

The group’s mission also includes educating students about women’s hygiene and how it affects not just women, but also transgender and non-binary people; there will be a OneWhitman lesson on the issue in Febuary, Menkes said.

“People with their periods, people without their periods, just hearing the word makes people take a step back and feel a little uncomfortable in their skin,” Menkes said. “In order to get people comfortable, you have to get them uncomfortable first.”