New city proposal would provide free menstrual products in city bathrooms
Mount Pleasant City Commissioner Hanna Demerath proposed a new ordinance to put free menstrual products in City restrooms at the City Commission meeting on Sept. 14.
“This is just the beginning steps to this, but I really think that period poverty in this area is something that isn’t talked about,” said Demerath, “Being in the area that we are at, we have a lot of poverty, and I think it’s easy to overlook how something so small and mundane can actually affect someone's life like this.”
Citizens spoke during public comment to show their support and express the need for the ordinance. One of those individuals was Harsna Chahal, a Central Michigan University medical student who first brought the issue to Demeraths' attention.
“Coming to Mount Pleasant and living here I realized, ‘Oh my gosh! This is something we need to bring here’,” Chahal said.
Period poverty is a term that describes when someone on their period does not have access to products that assist in continuing day-to-day activities with no interruptions. In the United States, one in four teens and one in three adults struggle to afford period products based on research done by unwomen.org.
“According to the U.S. census, 8.1% of Mount Pleasant’s population is uninsured and 31.4% lived below the poverty line, for someone struggling to afford food, housing, transportation and health care, menstrual products are another recuring expense that cannot be simply avoided,” said Chahal.
Chahal has also worked with city commissioners in Lansing to bring free pads and tampons in City restrooms.
“Other Michigan communities including East Lansing, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Meridian township and Delta township has already taken steps to provide free menstrual products in city restrooms,” said Chahal.
The commission unanimously voted to continue the conversation of free menstrual products. There will be more information given with a presentation from Chahal on period poverty and data collected from city employees at the meeting on Sept. 28.
“People should not have to choose between their dignity and their wallet,” said Mount Pleasant resident Bailey Smith during public comment in support of the ordinance.
In other news:
- The 2025 financial audit will be presented next meeting. The deadline for the audit was June 30. Due to staff vacancies and lack of experience for the rest of the staff, the audit was late this year. The city is taking steps and placing protocols to ensure this does not happen again. Some of these steps are ensuring there is a plan for when the treasury position is not filled, making sure staff is well educated and prepared to handle the audit and setting up a plan with the bank so bank reconciliations are completed in a timely matter.
- Sept. 21 is now recognized by Mount Pleasant as an International Day of Peace. This day was created by the United Nations in 2001 to have a 24-hour period of global nonviolence and cease fire. The Department of Human Rights and Department of Public Safety will be hosting the “let freedom reign” event on Saturday 19 from 12 to 2 p.m. at the town center.
