Celebrating May 28 as Women's Hygiene Day, recognizing the urgent need for the City to invest in addressing period poverty, and calling for an expanded period equity effort centered on educating and supplying communities across Philadelphia with women's hygiene resources.

WHEREAS, One in four women in America struggle to purchase menstrual products, and two in five women have had economic difficulty doing so at some point in their lives. The National Organization of Women estimates that the average woman spends roughly $18,000 on period-related products over the course of their lives; and

WHEREAS, Nearly half of low-income women in the United States had to choose between buying food or menstrual products, and almost two-thirds could not afford menstrual products in the past year; and

WHEREAS, Menstrual products are not permitted for purchase through federal SNAP or WIC assistance absent specific legislation from states. Pennsylvania’s House last year passed a waiver for purchase of menstrual products; and

WHEREAS, The national climate on women’s healthcare is unlike anything seen in the past half century. There are more and more attacks on women’s health and infringements on the right of women to determine the fate of their own bodies; and

WHEREAS, Inability to access menstrual resources and women’s hygiene products can have serious consequences on physical and emotional health, including forcing women to stay home from school or work or other daily activities; and

WHEREAS, Stigma and societal shame surround period and menstrual hygiene, and the City urgently needs to help create and sustain safe spaces that enable women’s health. Millions of people across the United States, and half a billion people worldwide, are impacted by period poverty, and the need for period equity is clear; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Celebrates May 28 as Women’s Hygiene Day, recognizes the urgent need for the City to invest in addressing period poverty, and calls for an expanded period equity effort centered on educating and supplying communities across Philadelphia with women’s hygiene resources.

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