The Women’s Empowerment Organization, a student organization at Hope College, recently placed baskets of period products in the bathrooms across Hope’s academic buildings. This serves a felt need on Hope’s campus providing access so students can make it to their classes on time when the unexpected comes up.
As a professor at Hope, I was surprised by the start of my menstrual cycle one day. I had no period products with me and had to drive home, canceling the rest of my meetings for that day.
In a society that shames menstruation, I felt inadequate and embarrassed. And I felt like a bad feminist for feeling inadequate and embarrassed!
These baskets are here for you and for me. They’re here to promote access to education, to decrease stigma, and to make our lives more livable.
WEO launched a donation drive (thank you to everyone who donated!!) and worked with Student Life and with Hope’s Physical Plant to ensure these baskets of emergency period products would not disrupt custodial work.
WEO is thrilled by the support for this project from across Hope’s students, admin, and staff.