AMBER MATTICE
Managing Editor
For those of you who were here last year and tend to pick up the campus newspaper, you might remember an article by Monica Manney, a senior journalism major, titled “Not so ‘free’ bleeding.” The piece touched on the fact that there are no tampons or pads available in campus bathrooms for those of us who get our periods.
This is certainly an important campus issue and, after writing the article, Manney decided to take action and set forth to start an initiative that would focus on making period products accessible to students on Fredonia’s campus that need them. This is how FREDFlo came into being.
“It is an initiative to provide sanitary products for students on campus. How it will take shape is being in dispensers in the restrooms on campus [with] at least one in each building that students can take from in case of an emergency,” said Manney. “Basically, it’s just providing
sanitary products for students and they’re going to be free. So [we’re] just making sure that students have exactly what they need.”
Manney is planning on gathering organizations and clubs to “adopt a restroom.” Each club would be in charge of refilling the dispensers in the assigned bathroom they were given. The dispensers will have signs attached to them with a number to text if a student or faculty member notices that the products are running low. The dispensers and all pads and tampons will be funded by the Student Association.
While Manney has been at the forefront of making the initiative happen, after writing an article last year about the problem, President Virginia Horvath reached out to see how she could aid Manney in getting the initiative set up.
“In initiating a program, you’re kind of making a promise to people so . . . my role is just to advise and support Monica where I can and to advocate for it because I think if the campus leadership is behind something, it is at least saying that this is consistent with our values,” said Horvath. “We want students to be in class. We don’t want people to have obstacles or be stressed out because of the embarrassment of not having supplies. Whatever we can do to help is something that I think I’m able to advocate for.”
An important aspect of FREDFlo for Manney and Horvath is ensuring that it is an inclusive initiative for all students that deal with menstruation.
“It is so important to be inclusive and we definitely want to make sure that they are in all gender restrooms throughout the campus because we don’t want to ‘out’ anyone in the process of them being able to get sanitary products,” said Manney. “We are working with a bunch of people to ensure that we are inclusive because I understand, as an ally of groups within the LGBTQIA community, that I don’t know everything but I do appreciate the people that are lending their voice to this to make sure that we are as inclusive as possible.”
Manney is hoping to get as many groups on campus involved to ensure that people are aware of the changes happening and can use the products whenever they are in need.
While the initiative has not yet officially begun, groups and students on campus that have heard of it are looking forward to seeing the implementation start.
“I have heard of FREDFlo through Monica’s social media and love the idea. The Fredonia Feminists believe that menstrual products should be as easily accessible as condoms,” said Opal Kelley, a junior psychology and criminology double major and the president of Fredonia Feminists. “This is such an important initiative because it benefits a large group of people. Those who need access to these products may use men’s, women’s, or gender neutral bathrooms, so having them accessible in every bathroom would be extremely beneficial.”
Manney is planning to see FREDFlo officially start within the next two weeks. At first, the initiative will go through a pilot period where the people involved can see what bathrooms are used the most often and, therefore, have the greatest need. After that, the goal is to expand the initiative where needed and help as many students as possible in being comfortable and feeling provided for on campus.
If you or your campus organization are interested in joining the initiative or donating products, please contact Manney at Fredoniaflo@gmail.com or call (716) 539-0406.