Join us on Wednesday, February 27 for a consciousness raising discussion around menstrual equity and access.

In honor of Mass NOW’s 50th anniversary we are going back to our roots by hosting intimate consciousness raising discussions in living rooms across the Commonwealth.  Over dessert and wine, we strengthen our personal narratives and educate our communities about our priority issue areas. No expertise necessary! 

This upcoming consciousness raising event is about menstrual equity--the idea that ALL people who menstruate should have access to menstrual products.

Did you know??

• On average, menstruating individuals will use over 11,000 disposal pads and tampons in their lifetime. This can cost over $10 per month, and contributes to the “pink tax” – the idea that women (and in this case all menstruating people) pay more annually for their needs.
• Inability to access menstrual products can affect school attendance and productivity, adding to the issue of educational inequality.
• Lack of access to menstrual products is acutely difficult for homeless individuals, already struggling to meet other basic needs. HUD’s December 2018 report put the number of homeless individuals in MA at over 20,000, up 14%, the largest increase in homelessness from 2017-2018 in the country.
• Menstrual products provided in state prisons are often of poor quality or provide minimal protection. In turn, women are forced to improvise unsafe solutions or to ask guards for more, a subject often uncomfortable or difficult to broach given that 40% of guards in female state prisons are male.
• Prisoners have the option to purchase hygiene products from a commissary which are often unaffordable on their less-than-a-dollar hourly salary.'