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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
the student voice since 1960
Guide to Edwardsville activist organizations
Thursday, August 26, 2021 Vol. 75 No. 1
| Kirsten O’Loughlin / The Alestle ALEX AULTMAN editor-in-chief
SIUE’s Mensi Project will no longer have to rely on donations due to a bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on August 5 requiring public colleges and universities to provide free period products in all campus restrooms. House Bill 641 is effective immediately and SIUE plans to fulfill it through the infrastructure created by the Mensi Project, which already has bags and baskets in women’s restrooms across campus. English and women’s studies instructor Christy Ferguson created the Mensi Project after hearing students concerned over period products only being available in first floor restrooms. She said the bill will only lead to a few changes to the project. “The Mensi Project will pretty much stay the same except we will actually receive products rather than having to ask for donations,” Ferguson said. “So that means that when I have student groups that can help, instead of them doing a donation drive, they’ll take what I have, and they’ll just go out and fill the bags. It also means that we are going to have bags in every single bathroom.” After discussion with the GayStraight Alliance and transgender students a nd faculty members, the Mensi Project will be placing bags of period products in the men’s restrooms, includ-
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ing signage Ferguson designed to be more dent Government and one of many who inclusive. have praised the bill. She said she is thrilled “[I wanted to make] sure people un- and it has taken care of one of the initiaderstand the reasoning for the project and tives she ran on. that this is a human bodily function,” Fer“I love this bill that passed because guson said. “It’s one of my initianot something that tives whenever I is just for women, was running for and that even not president was to all women men— we have the struate ... That mensi project has nothing to do that was here on with our bathroom campus that was choice.” completely doFerguson said nation based,” she understa nds O’Dell said. “So s ome concer n s I wanted to use about potena portion of my t ia l vandalism of budget to fund bags in the men’s that so that it restrooms and it wasn’t relying on will be handled if it other students’ happens. donations, but “I think that t h a t ’s t a k e n put t i ng sig nage care of because that is the same in there’s no need both bathrooms anymore.” is important. And Senior soI’m hoping that ciolog y major the way that it is Julia Goren of worded, that will H ig h R idge , kind of skew some Missouri, said of the fear of the CHRISTY FERGUSON she hopes this attacks on the proj- English and women’s studies instructor will lead to exect,” Ferguson said. pa nsion into “And if it happens, providing period we will face it, and we will handle it, and products to the local community. we will repost and if it becomes a prob“This also means that, like those dolem, then it will be something that will be nations that were going to the Mensi Projaddressed. It won’t be something that is ect, they don’t have to stop because they ignored. I promise that.” can expand and bring them elsewhere,” Junior psychology and elementary ed- Goren said. “But also, we can continue to ucation manager Hailee O’Dell of Glen support Support The Girls as well, because Carbon, Illinois, is the president of Stu- they take that stuff and go out into the
“The problem is that those who don’t menstruate don’t understand ... that everybody’s body is different, not everybody has the ability to get what they need when they need it. And if you think that a period emergency is not an emergency, then you’ve certainly never lived my life.
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community, like the metro St. Louis area.” HB 641 was signed on campus along with two other bills. HB 155 requires the state to apply for a waiver from the federal government to allow recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children to use their benefits to pay for period products and diapers. HB 310 requires all homeless shelters that provide temporary housing assistance to also provide free period products if they have the budget for it. Ferguson said the bills still use gendered language and don’t address access to hygiene stations and many shelters will not have the funding for period products. “I worked with the homeless population in St. Louis before and it’s not just about having the products on hand. It’s also about having somewhere where they can clean themselves up, about having a hygiene facility ready and available for them that is clean and prepared to do those kinds of things,” Ferguson said. “Also, these products are really expensive, and homeless shelters are often already strapped for funding.” Ferguson said a lack of understanding of menstruation is another issue. “The problem is that those who don’t menstruate don’t understand ... that everybody’s body is different, not everybody has the ability to get what they need when they need it,” Ferguson said. “And if you think that a period emergency is not an emergency, then you’ve certainly never lived my life.” Those interested in getting involved with the Mensi Project, including distributing period products to the men’s restrooms, can contact Ferguson at chrferg@siue.edu.
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