The UNC Wilmington Feminist Student Alliance (FSA), Health Promotion, and several other organizations hosted a presentation in Randall Library advocating for access to feminine hygiene products for women on campus on Tuesday titled “Help Women, Period.”

Esther Fiore, president of UNCW FSA, argued that since the school provides free condoms on campus, they can also provide free feminine hygiene products. She stressed that, while condoms are a public health issue, tampons and pads are a hygiene issue and should be seen as such.

“Asking someone to bring their own tampons is like asking someone to bring their own toilet paper because they know they’ll need it later,” Fiore said.

Fiore’s words were echoed by Liz Warren, peer educator of UNCW Sustainability, and the attending Health Promotion peer educators. Warren argued that inexpensive, sustainable options for feminine hygiene productions are often unavailable to students, while Health Promotion peer educators advocated ending the shame and stigma surrounding periods to make hygiene products more accessible.

At the end of the presentation, organizers hosted a Q&A session for audience members, with one of the more impactful questions asking how the organizations planned to make these products more available to students.

Nicole Fedders, assistant director of Campus Involvement and Activities Center, explained that there would be a donation drive for feminine hygiene products on campus, which will run throughout the month of March.

These items will be delivered to various locations on campus such as Hawk’s Harvest, which is the university’s new school pantry and resource for students in need of supplies.

The next FSA meeting is Tuesday, March 19, from 5-6 p.m. at Bear Hall 101. Sociology professor Jean Sutherland will discuss intersectional feminism.