Amador Valley Leadership has set up a pad and tampon station in the H, J, and Q building bathrooms. As students come back to AV after winter break, girls can be sure that they always have a pad or tampon when they need one, relieving stress and anxiety. 

“I was kind of surprised, but in a good way because I remember seeing in the bathrooms we have those old dispensers and when my friends or I need an extra pad or tampon, we go in there and they never work. Seeing [the tray] out there makes me feel like the school cares for us and it’s just a very nice thing to have,” said Tiffany Shao (‘22).

Women’s hygiene products are important and something not everyone has access to. According to Reuters News, two-thirds of women in the low-income bracket do not have access to women’s hygiene products across the United States. In addition, about a quarter of menstruating female students have a hard time accessing female period products.

 “I think pads and tampons are something we take for granted and even now we complain about how expensive they are, but I think they should really just be free, not even in the bathroom but in stores, in general, they should be free because it’s not like something we can control,” said Shao.

Similar to their previous holiday beautification project, leadership is often contributing and taking care of our school. Sarah Nicolson (‘22), the leadership student in charge of putting it all together, even applied for a District Grant in order to supply the school with free women’s hygiene.

“Students who are in need of these products may experience anxiety or embarrassment if they forgot their products or suddenly got their period at school, which could affect their ability to be present in class. Our goal is to have these products available and easily accessible to anyone who is in need of them on campus. Having a concrete backup helps to decrease anxiety,” said Nicolson.

Menstruation products are essential in an environment where women are present. The health office and PE teachers also provide a variety of female products for students.  

“In general I think that having pads and tampons available is a good idea. I also keep them in the health office, and I can see who’s coming and going and who’s taking how much. I think the biggest thing is letting the teenage population know it’s available and that we have it here,” said Pamela Lucero, the Health Clerk at Amador.

According to the California legislature, a new law was enacted in the year 2021 in California that states female hygiene products are a “basic human right.” Providing tampons and pads lead to an increase in school attendance and participation, and leadership hopes for similar results at Amador. 

“I think it’s important to have free access to pads and tampons because it’s not something that we want, it’s something that we need. We’re women and we can’t control our nature,” said Angela Figueroa (‘22).