After feeling like their access to feminine hygiene products at their school was limited, some Calgary students are taking the solution into their own hands.
Matilda Woodsin, a grade 10 student at Calgary’s William Aberhart High School, and her organization, AbeFlowsFree, are raising money for tampon and pad dispensers for her school.
Though she’s only in her first year of high school, Woodsin is no stranger to campaigning and fundraising.
“When I went to my junior high school, Senator Patrick Burns, I was student council president and when I polled students to see what I could do for them, many of the Grade 9 girls noted that there were no period products available (on campus),” she told LWC.
“Working with my student council and my principal, we managed to get a partnership with a company that made us a custom machine for pads and we installed them in the two girls bathrooms.”
Charities are consistently donating products to stock the machines, according to Woodsin, who was annoyed but not surprised that Aberhart lacked similar necessities.
“As a feminist and somebody who strongly supports women and their needs, I felt it was despicable at a high school that students didn’t have these products readily available in the bathrooms,” she said.
“Fifty per cent of the school has their period, and people can’t bring their backpacks to the bathrooms and there’s no pads or tampons in there.”
Period products are available in the school’s main office, but making a pit-stop at the office during an emergency is something nobody wants to do, Woodsin said.
Last month, Woodsin and her team held their first fundraising event, a bake sale outside of their school. Currently, AbeFlowsFree is 40 per cent of the way to their $1,000 goal.
Aside from money raised, a petition created by AbeFlowsFree demanding that the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) provide free accessible feminine hygiene products in every school bathroom currently has 613 signatures.
“I’d like to get to 1,000,” Woodsin said.
One way communication: Student
Thus far, information from Aberhart staff has been tough to come by, Woodsin said. No one has been able to tell her why period products aren’t already stocked in washrooms across the school, or acknowledge her efforts.
“I think it could be a budgeting issue, or something they don’t know how to start, but that’s just my best guess,” she said.
“I made (school administration) aware of the petition, sent them links and screenshots and I’ve mentioned it in conversation, but nobody’s really brought it up like it mattered.”
In a statement issued to LWC, CBE said that the health and wellness of students is important to school officials.
“Schools have period products available to students. The process of how to access would vary from school to school. CBE has received donations of these items in the past and has distributed them to schools across the system,” the statement reads.
“Like parent societies, students are able to lead their own fundraising efforts for donations to enhance learning and contribute to student wellbeing. Students are encouraged to work closely with their teachers and principal to determine requirements and outline how funds or purchased items will be used.”
Though AbeFlowsFree has not made any demands of the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD), CCSD also recognized that access to menstruation products is important to student well-being.
“A few years ago, several CCSD schools participated in The United Way Period Promise initiative, a nation-wide program that provided funding for menstruation products in select schools,” a CCSD-issued statement reads.
While funding associated with the program is no longer available, schools continue to support students by maintaining an emergency supply of menstruation products, according to the district.
“Access to products may vary slightly from school to school, but students can typically obtain them through school offices, wellness spaces, counsellors or student services areas. The intent is to provide emergency support for students and help reduce barriers that may impact student learning and participation at school.”
