TOLEDO, Ohio —
Toledo City Council President Carrie Hartman is spearheading a measure that would bring free period products to city-owned bathrooms.
"This is just one very small step the city can do to show that we do care about women, we do care about gender equity," Hartman said.
She said if the city can provide toilet paper and paper towels in bathrooms, then they should be able to provide hygiene products too.
"Right now, we're asking for $50,000 from the general fund, which is the same fund we provide those same toilet paper and paper towels," Hartman said.
If passed at council's Oct. 9 meeting, those $50,000 will go towards a one-year pilot program.
That pilot program would start by putting period products only in the city's most high-traffic bathrooms, like at the Municipal Court, the Safety Building, Walbridge Park and the Frederick Douglas Community Center.
"In the future, I would like to look forward to expanding to both gender bathrooms just to make it totally inclusive for everyone," Hartman said.
The idea isn't really new to Toledo. Hartman said some local businesses already provide free products.
In the spring, the University of Toledo started stocking free menstrual products in at least one bathroom in every building on campus.
"As much as anybody can do, I would suggest doing it. That's why we did it here on campus – to support our students and anybody who's visiting campus," explained Danielle Lutman, associate director of UToledo's Catherine S. Eberly Center.
Lutman said one of the biggest benefits has been uninterrupted education.
"They don't have to leave campus to go buy things, they don't have to worry about like, 'I wasn't prepared to buy menstrual products this week,'" Lutman said.
Hartman said she has the same goal – to eliminate interruptions and any barriers caused by hygiene.
"Some people, I imagine, have a hard time paying for menstrual products," Hartman said. "I mean, they can be pretty expensive."