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$1.5 Million for Menstruating Georgians

It has been a busy final stretch under the Gold Dome. The final 2019-2020 Budget passed this week with an important addition. Thank you to all the advocates, delegates, and communities who have rallied and continue to rally around an end to #periodpoverty!

$1 million was added to “increase funds for grants to schools for feminine hygiene products for low-income students.”

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$500,000 was added to “increase funds for feminine hygiene products to be provided to low-income clients at county health departments.”

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#HB8 Hearing Recap and Steps Forward

To date, the work of the Georgia STOMP coalition has focused on 4 pillars, most of which address period poverty and product access in some form — tax elimination, access for school age girls unable to afford products, access in times of situational poverty following a natural disaster and access to those detained in state prisons.

Yesterday, HB8 was heard before the Sales Tax subcommittee. This bill strictly addresses an equity issue – the tax is unfair and should be eliminated on the grounds that women should not support the state budget to the tune of $9M each year on something about which we have no choice.

At yesterday’s hearing, coalition members walked away feeling a combination of emotions: frustration and hopefulness.

First: Frustration. The equity conversation was not heard. Questions from the committee’s chair focused on the minimal savings to an individual the tax elimination would generate, conflating the fairness issue with period poverty and ignoring the larger issue of women paying a discriminatory tax while being economically disadvantaged in our state.

Instead of focusing on the menstrual equity conversation, the subcommittee came to the table ready to talk about ways to address period poverty. That is where coalition members began to feel great hope for the outcome of this meeting!

Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones outlined how the work of the Georgia STOMP coalition and Representative Buckner brought to her attention how challenging it is for those with limited means to purchase menstrual products, making it difficult for them to participate in school, work, and society.

Jones reported to the subcommittee that $500,000 was added to the House budget for feminine hygiene product grants for schools serving low-income students, and her plan to focus those grants on schools with a high percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunch, and in geographic areas with low property values. $500,000 has also been added to the House budget for funding for the Department of Public Health (DPH). We are not clear yet in regards to how the DPH funds will be distributed, just that it will go to “provide funds for feminine hygiene products to be provided to low-income clients at county health departments.” The administration of both of these “pots of money” will be a coalition focus in coming weeks.

As representative of House leadership, Jones made it clear that the House is asking for matching funds from the Senate, which means IF those line items stay in the budget, there will be $2 million going towards menstrual hygiene product access for Georgians in need!

$2 million could put 8 million menstrual hygiene products in the hands of Georgians who desperately need them to participate fully in society, school, and the workforce!

That is not the win we were looking for in the HB8 hearing. We are highly disappointed that the leadership in our state does not yet understand that the tax on menstrual products is discriminatory and should be eliminated on that basis, alone. BUT, the fact that the most powerful woman in the State House is acknowledging the existence of, and seeking to address, #periodpoverty in Georgia, is a huge step forward in the overall progress of our work. As one coalition member said, “The winners: low income girls and women! Sounds awesome to me!”

Because of the proximity of crossover day, Georgia STOMP does not plan to push HB8 forward in this session. This is the first year of the two year term, so it remains a viable bill into next year’s session, and we believe is a bill that CAN be passed in Georgia.

The advancement of menstrual equity issues in Georgia over the last year as a result of Georgia STOMP’s inquiries and work cannot be overstated.

  • Period products added to GEMA’s list of basic needs
  • Period products readily available to detainees in Georgia Department of Correction facilities
  • A highly anticipated addition of significant state funds to directly provide products to school girls and those utilizing our public health systems
  • Conversations at the highest levels of our state government about Period Poverty!

We will keep you posted as we are able to make connections with Speaker Pro Tempore Jones and move forward with already-planned discussions with the DOE.

Claire Cox + Adele Stewart
Co-Leads, Georgia STOMP

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Period Progress: A Press Conference at the Gold Dome

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#PeriodProgress looks like boxes upon boxes of menstrual products passing through the security gate at the Georgia State Capitol building

#PeriodProgress looks like leaders of state-wide government organizations standing in support of menstrual product access

#PeriodProgress looks like the terms ‘period poverty’ and ‘menstrual equity’ being broadcast in the Rotunda

#PeriodProgress looks like a diverse group of state delegates and advocates showing up on a rainy Tuesday to talk about #periodpoverty and #menstrualequity

#PeriodProgress looks like the elimination of the state sales tax on menstrual products, and continued efforts to ensure that those products are safe, accessible, and affordable.

Ask your State Representative to support House Bill 8, today!

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Macon Periods Easier

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A GUEST BLOG SUBMITTED BY ANDREA COOKE,
MEMBER OF GEORGIA WOMEN (AND THOSE WHO STAND WITH US)

On Tuesday night, February 5th, a group of concerned citizens gathered together to listen and learn about how they could help to put an end to period poverty. Several of the people in the room expressed their lack of knowledge about the issue and were not sure about what it was exactly, but they knew they needed to find a way to be of assistance.

Soon after we introduced ourselves we quieted to listen to Claire Cox, the convener of the meeting and the president of Georgia Women (And Those Who Stand With Us).  Almost immediately we could sense the passion that consumed Claire when she began to give us a complete history of how she became aware of this pertinent issue and what Georgia Women and Georgia STOMP had done to begin the work of ending the sales tax associated with feminine hygiene products.

We then watched a powerful story about a girl who faced barriers in the accessibility of feminine hygiene products.  This young girl did not feel that her family could afford the high expense of the products and was glad that she had a resource in her school, that helped fill in the gaps.  The video highlighted a program called the Homeless Period Project, and the story the director told about what wonderful work they do began to help us all to see just why we were there.  As I sat in the room, teary-eyed watching the short video, I noticed very quickly that I was not the only one who was moved.  This was the pivotal moment that solidified for me that I would need to do something, and I feel that the passion displayed in the video was quietly motivating others to activate something inside themselves as well.

Next, we listened to the founder of Helping Mamas, Jamie Lackey, out of Norcross, Georgia.  She’d driven down to speak to us in person about the amazing work she was doing by operating a baby bank and as a result of this work she’d began the work of “helping to connect mamas to mamas needing help!”  It is a wonderful concept and hearing about her passion was certainly contagious.  She shared with us about her willingness to share information and how we could stay connected.

After Claire stated clearly that she was so excited about this movement, she also made it clear that she was sufficiently booked in the realm of taking up causes and she offered us the opportunity to do what we could to help.  Several people spoke up and as a result of that call to action we have now created a leadership team

…and just like that, we are doing something to help end period poverty in our community!

I challenge all those who read this, regardless of your need for the period products, to pick up a pack next time you go to the store and donate them; it just might make the difference for a girl or woman, who may be choosing between a pad or a meal.

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Period Poverty: An Old Stigma With New Awareness

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Today’s blog was written by Bridgette Watson, Board Member of the

Homeless Period Project.

 

Period Poverty. Maybe you have recently heard this term that is gaining national attention. For many readers, this is the first time they are hearing this term. So what exactly does period poverty mean? In short, period poverty refers to a lack of access to feminine hygiene products due to financial constraints. In a recent survey by Always*, “nearly one in 5 American girls and one in seven Canadian girls have either left school early or missed school entirely because they did not have access to period products.” These are just our school-aged girls. This does not account for the number of women living in poverty who are also affected by this monthly. Poverty affects women in the U.S at an alarming rate. According to a report from Shriver, roughly 42 million women live in or close to poverty. Yet most programs designed to help low-income families, including Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC, exclude menstrual products, even though the FDA considers them “medical products.”  There are many areas in which period poverty is prevalent in our society. In the workplace, in our schools, with women facing homelessness, our women who are incarcerated, to just name a few. This is why the term Period Poverty is so important. It is a healthcare crisis that has for years flown under the radar. There has long been a stigma around female menstruation, and that is something that The Homeless Period Project and many other advocacy groups who are fighting period poverty are trying to educate the public on and erase.

You may also be asking yourself, “Is this really an issue in OUR community?” More than likely, yes. Period poverty affects someone in your own community. In Greenville, South Carolina, we were shocked to learn of the dire need for feminine products.

What started out as a small mission to provide products to our homeless community, leading to to calls from all across the county that stretched from shelters, to free medical clinics, to our school nurses calling in desperate need for products.  Since 2015, we have been able to provide over 230,000 period packs. So yes, the need is GREAT!

What can you do to help those fighting period poverty? Help spread the word! Lack of awareness is one of our biggest hurdles. Find out if there is a local coalition working to help spread awareness about period poverty in your community, and if so, send them a quick email asking how you can help!

Also, become aware of how your state taxes period products. Every state is different. You may be lucky enough to live in a state in which the tax has been removed (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon do not have a sales tax), and as of November 2018, ten states specifically exempted essential hygiene products (Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, and Pennsylvania). If you live in a state in which period products are taxed, find out if your local coalition is working on a project to help remove that tax, and if not, there is no better person to start that fight than you!

We in SC are in the process of starting that fight for the removal of the 6% tax on period products. Even in our state, during tax free weekend, period products are still NOT exempt under the current law! We know it may be an uphill battle that will take some time, but we are committed to fighting the fight and helping our women and girls get relief at the checkout when it comes to purchasing these items. We know for many, a $5-$6 box of tampons or pads is also the price of milk or another necessity they are having to choose between.  

For us, this is not just a social issue. We are working to bring dignity back to those who have long struggled with the stigma surrounding their periods. This is a fight we plan to be a part of for the long haul. We hope you will join us!

 

Bridgette Watson

The Homeless Period Project

www.homelessperiodproject.org

Follow along on Facebook or Instagram

PS: The Homeless PERIOD Project is excited to announce we are a part of a documentary series, Breaking the Cycle: Menstrual Taboos, Myths and Reality.  The director, Nancy Durrell McKenna, is the founder and director of SafeHands for Mothers and the film was produced by Deborah Bayer Marlow of MarlowFilms (http://www.marlowfilm.dk). The objective of the film is to hear the voices of individuals from 7 different countries (girls, boys, men and women) from varying cultures, addressing a different aspect of the challenges surrounding menstruation in their culture or experience. Through their stories viewers will be made aware of the taboos, cultural issues and/or celebrations around menstruation that have an effect on lives around the world.

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On Second Thought

If you tuned into GPB Tuesday morning for “On Second Thought,” you might have caught Jennifer Weiss-Wolf and Dominique Holloman talking around 14 minutes into the program. They discussed the compelling case for affordable menstrual products in Georgia, including #HB8 and the need for products to be readily available in our schools.

As it did on Tuesday, the question of ‘what the opposition to eliminating the tax on menstrual products exactly is’ comes up rather often for advocates of menstrual equity and an end to the discriminatory tax on menstrual products. As Jennifer and Dominique mentioned, a little education can help address any opposition that arises.

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The “tampon tax,” as it is sometimes called, doesn’t paint the total picture – there is no unique tax on menstrual products. But we know: that doesn’t make it inequitable. Here are the facts:

  • We do not have a uniform sales tax rate in Georgia – some items are exempt from sales tax. This can serve many purposes – to make Georgia a friendly state for business, to meet special interests, or to ease the financial burdens on products that are essential for consumers with limited means. The latter type of exemptions include, but are not limited to: food purchased for off-site consumption, prescription medications, durable medical equipment, and some non-prescription medical devices (like insulin syringes and blood glucose test strips).
  • Make no mistake: there are items which we would all consider necessities that ARE taxed. Some might consider amongst those necessities certain items used for basic hygiene – items like soap, toilet paper, deodorant, or even razors. Menstrual products are also currently not exempt.

So what’s the difference? Why should menstrual products be exempt when items like toilet paper aren’t?

Because we all have a need for toilet paper, but menstruation is a healthy, natural part of life for only one half of the population for an average of 40 years of life. In order to manage menstruation, menstrual products are essential. Period. Without menstrual products, there are health risks and menstruating persons would not have the ability to participate in the workforce and in school for an average of 7 days each month.

This is the primary reason that this tax is discriminatory and burdensome: only half of the population menstruates as an integral part of life, and so only half the population bears this tax burden. There is no other equivalence – no unavoidable necessity that the other sex has to purchase because of their natural biology.

With House Bill 8, the State of Georgia has an opportunity to eliminate what is, in essence, a special tax on menstruators, giving back $9 million annually to its citizens by exempting these products the same as they do other unavoidable necessities. It can alleviate this undue burden on women, who are already known to be economically disadvantaged in our state.

It’s just that simple: Stop Tax on Menstrual Products. It’s one step towards a more equitable society, and a fairer tax code.

 

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Our Conversation is Being Heard!

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GOOD NEWS FROM THE LEGISLATURE THIS WEEK!

Late Tuesday afternoon, in the annual budget hearings before the Joint Budget Committees of the General Assembly, Department of Corrections Commissioner, Tim Ward, was asked about the cost and availability of feminine hygiene products for women inmates by Representative Carolyn Hugley (D), of Columbus. 

Dept. Commissioner Ward replied, “I do not know the cost but one change we did make about a month ago…normally we had a limit. We made a change and there is no limit on items of personal hygiene products for females and we made them more accessible in a common area bathroom. We started that about month ago.”

We applaud the Georgia Department of Corrections for this decision and encourage free and unlimited access for all those detained in correctional facilities in our state.

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WJCL Covers Georgia STOMP-Supported HB8

Thanks to the work of groups across the state, the #GeorgiaSTOMP coalition is getting some great press, ensuring that Georgians know why we need to eliminate the state sales tax on menstrual products.

Most recently, Ciara Lucas with WJCL put together a video about #HB8, spotlighting the Junior League of Savannah’s valuable contribution to raising awareness of the discriminatory nature of this tax and the effects of #periodpoverty.

Junior League of Savannah members with WJCL’s Ciara Lucas
Junior League of Savannah members with WJCL’s Ciara Lucas
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Menstrual Monday: How to Talk About #PeriodPoverty

As you might have seen, HB-8 has been pre-filed in the state legislature! As we all prepare for session to begin this month, we are getting our ducks in a row and making sure our local representatives know the issues we are monitoring. Sometimes, there is a full county meeting to speak with them, and sometimes there’s 60 seconds in an elevator.

So how does one prepare to talk about period poverty when time is of the essence and the topic can be uncomfortable to broach? Here’s our recommended 60-second pitch. Try it out in the mirror, on your friends, on your dog, or on your OB-GYN. Whatever you do, make yourself comfortable with the language – and feel free to send us your questions!

We believe that a general lack of understanding about women’s menstrual needs has led to inequity not just in our tax base, but in institutions and public spaces across the state.

To address this inequity, we:

  • are requesting that the legislature commission a pilot project related to period poverty and its effects on education of women in our state’s public schools.
  • are working with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to have menstrual products added to their list of basic necessities grant funds can be used to purchase, aligning our state’s agency rules with FEMA.
  • are researching and preparing for action related to menstrual products available in prisons.
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The Indigo Girls Rep Georgia STOMP!

L->R Claire Cox, Amy Ray, Emily Saliers, Adele Stewart
L->R Claire Cox, Amy Ray, Emily Saliers, Adele Stewart

On January 3rd, Claire Cox and Adele Stewart were ecstatic to attend a benefit concert given by The Indigo Girls in support of the elimination of period poverty. The phenomenal folk rock duo was connected to the work by Mara Davis, a well known media personality in Atlanta. Mara hosted the concert that benefited the hugely impactful Homeless Period Project (HPP).  HPP, based in Greenville, SC is expanding to the Atlanta area. The benefit supported that work, providing funds for period packs to be delivered to local schools and homeless shelters. 

Sharron Champion, Executive Director of HPP, invited Claire and Adele to attend the concert as her guests, and provided the opportunity for them to meet with Amy, Emily and Mara, to connect the Indigo Girls and Mara to the advocacy work already underway in Georgia. 

On the following day, HPP hosted a meeting at the Junior League of Atlanta Headquarters with arguably, the leading voice for menstrual equity, Jennifer Weiss Wolf.  Jennifer coined the term “menstrual equity,” when she published one of the first  “handbooks” on the subject — Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity.

The reason Jennifer would be in Atlanta was two-fold — to discuss national strategy and learn from southern states, and, of course (!) attend the fundraiser for HPP and meet the The Indigo Girls!

The meeting was inspiring and informative, but also showed Georgia STOMP is becoming an important part of the national conversation.  Advocacy differs throughout the country and much was learned from each other!

AND…Claire and Adele were pretty psyched to have Amy Ray and Emily Saliers reppin’ Georgia STOMP pins in every one of their pictures at the concert Thursday night!

Mara Davis

Mara Davis

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf

Stephanie Arnold & Sharron Champion, Co-founders HPP

Stephanie Arnold & Sharron Champion, Co-founders HPP

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