Feminine hygiene dispensers are a common commodity for women throughout the world. Yet as common as they may seem, not everyone has access to them.

With the welcoming of women on campus, we need to start providing the free necessary items, such as tampons and pads, for students who are going through menstruation.

There has been an odd stigma around periods throughout the world for centuries. Girls often
hide their pads and tampons when walking to bathrooms in order for everyone else to feel more comfortable.

Though it is not something we are taught, we subconsciously know to do it. We are taught to fight through painful cramps and drown our emotions in Tylenol.

We are expected to put on a smile and act natural when our body is going through a rigorous process that makes us feel like a stack of bricks is piled on top of our uterus, or worse.

These examples are caused by the lack of knowledge about how women’s bodies operate, and because of the lack thereof, we are expected to hide it as if it is a secret to be kept in the first place.

It is important for everyone to understand that being on your period is nothing to be ashamed of, but an agonizing yet fascinating process.

If Riordan wants to fully adapt to having women on campus, feminine hygiene product dispensers would serve as a
motivating factor in making us feel comfortable.

Boxes of pads and tampons are not as cheap as people may think, and everyone’s situation is different. Some people may not be able to afford pads every month, or some forget to bring them to school.

By providing free pad and tampon dispensers available inside bathrooms around campus, it will help create a more inclusive and comfortable environment for all.