Patriot Period Project’s Latest Initiative
George Mason’s Patriot Period Project just launched a new menstrual product initiative, Aunt Flow Dispensers, in seven different buildings on GMU’s Fairfax campus. These dispensers contain free pads and tampons for people who experience menstrual periods. Dispensers are also available in several restrooms at the Mason Square and Sci-Tech campuses.
Aunt Flow is a company owned by women with a mission of ensuring that everyone has access to period products, regardless of socioeconomic status or other marginalized identities. They provide free menstrual products for schools, universities, and businesses, all made from organic cotton.
Historically, products that are deemed “womanly” have been more expensive than men’s products. This is referred to as the Pink Tax. Sweatpants or jeans found in the women’s section are costlier than men’s of the exact same style. This price gap can be seen for practically all ages, as a Barbie and her dollhouse will usually be more expensive than a Lego set.
Similarly, women’s hygiene products have been far more unfairly priced and taxed compared to men’s products such as razors, shampoo, deodorant, etc. Women’s menstrual necessities though, like pads and tampons, can add up to cost an obscene amount of money. A lot of women in underdeveloped countries do not have the means to afford period products and are sadly left to desperate measures, like using towels or rags to prevent bleeding through their clothes.
Even in more affluent regions like Northern Virginia, there are women and people with uteruses who are not able to afford new menstrual products on a regular basis. This is worse for people with heavier periods and issues like endometriosis. Patriot Period Project’s primary goal is to help eliminate period poverty at Mason and educate the public on menstruation and its long and short-term health concerns.
Patriot Period Project at Mason initiated several years ago but was recently rebranded in the Fall 2023 semester. Since then, executive board members have recruited many students to help spread awareness on the realities surrounding menstrual periods like the health defects and global issues they bring. Club leaders are also very active on their Instagram page (@period.gmu) in providing strategies for managing periods and normalizing open conversation about periods.
Naila Ahsan, co-president of the Patriot Period Project, is a senior majoring in business management with a passion for menstrual health activism. She owns a social venture which manufactures reusable sanitary napkins in Bangladesh and has distributed 30,000 units to underprivileged communities.
“I initially joined The Patriot Period Project because I was deeply moved by the issue of menstrual inequity and wanted to take action to address it. The club’s mission to provide free menstrual products on campus resonated with me, and I saw it as an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of others while promoting gender equity and empowerment,” she said. .
“Being part of The Patriot Period Project’s executive board allows me to contribute to meaningful change while building valuable skills and relationships. Together, we work to make a significant and positive impact on our community by providing free menstrual products through our campus’s 8 dispensers.”
Patriot Period Project’s executive board also plans on collaborating with several women-oriented clubs such as Women in Business, American Medical Women’s Association, and Generation Action. Patriot Period Project is working to bring attention to their resources and create a more inclusive environment that comfortably discusses other health-related issues faced by people with uteruses.
They said, “for the remainder of the semester, we have several exciting plans lined up. We’re organizing a menstrual product drive to collect commodities for those in need. We’re also hosting a movie night! Our biggest event is the Celestial Soiree Gala, where we’ll collaborate with empowering organizations to celebrate our collective efforts and advocate for change on April 15.”
Restrooms where you can find Aunt Flow Dispensers:
- Fairfax Campus
- Johnson Center 1st and 3rd Floors
- Exploratory Hall 1st Floor
- Peterson Hall 1st Floor
- Engineering Building 2nd Floor
- Horizon Hall 2nd Floor
- Fenwick Library 2nd Floor
- The HUB 2nd Floor
- Mason Square
- Van Metre Hall 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Floors
- Scalia 1st Floor
- SciTech
- Colgan Hall 1st floor
- Katherine Johnson Hall 1st floor
If these restrooms are all out of menstrual products, GMU Student Health Services offers free pads and tampons as well. They have dispensers on the ground floor of the JC and in SUB 1 right outside their clinic. SHS also offers reproductive products for promoting safe sex like external condoms, dental dams, and lube.