I DON’T WANT TO BE // A PROLOGUE TO HISTORY

An article in the Daily brought this to my attention a few months ago, but I hadn’t encountered the problem myself until today.  As is the case with many reported injustices, many get your head shaking but don’t really matter until they affect you personally.  But the problems I encountered this morning got me kind of riled up, so I will write about it, even though some readers might find it a bit T.M.I.

So today, rather unexpectedly (but only a little bit) I noticed it was that time of the month.  As I mentioned, this was unexpected so I was not carrying the appropriate products with me, nor was there anyone around appropriate to ask for a spare, but I thought there would be a vending machine somewhere even if not in Shatner (our student union).  I remembered seeing them in the library somewhere, so I ran up and down six flights of stairs visiting the women’s washrooms on every single floor.  RIEN.  I ended up calling Kat and she brought me some on her way to school.

Anyways, problem solved, what’s the matter?  Maybe I should be more responsible about carrying emergency goodies in my schoolbag and knowing what my menstrual cycle is like (although it’s been whack since winter vacation, it’s probably the stress), et cetera.  Still, I am blogging about this because I find the removal of tampon dispensers to be akin to gender discrimination.  Some high school kid in #btts† is accusing me of “crying sexism” as I complain about this, that the removal of tampon dispensers from campus is merely “unfortunate,” so I realise some may disagree.  But hear me out.

In certain parts of the world, girls don’t go to school during their periods.  They’re missing up to five days of class once a month because of a biological fact.  Inspired by whatever benevolent spirit‡, a number of charities and developmental organisations work actively in these countries to provide female pupils with access to sanitary pads and other menstrual products (ex: Once a Month Campaign) so that they can have the chance to go to school and have greater access to education, at par -or approaching it- with the boys.  Although there might be problems with ~imposing a particular (Western?) relationship between the body and ~consumer products, the goal of improving female access to education is generally not contested and received as an important means for the reduction of gender inequality.

In light of this, it seems even more ridiculous (rather than just inconvenient) that all tampon dispensers (and vending machines for menstrual products in general) have been removed.  Comparing what has transpired on campus over the course of the last year with what is happening in the so-called developing world, the removal of tampon dispensers seems to be a major step backwards for women’s access to education (i.e.  gender discrimination).  I think it’s rather problematic that I might have had to go home from school and miss class because I got my period and didn’t have my own products on hand.

Agree/disagree?

† Sraffies know.

‡ I’m being slightly ironic because I am critical of the way certain aspects of development are carried out, as stated above.  Obviously I’m not completely cynical about benevolence and charity and development though.  We could totally step up the active caring.