ISSA’s October End Period Poverty Update
Welcome to ISSA’s October Period Project Update. This communication from ISSA, the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry, will keep you up to date on the association’s efforts to end period poverty through advocacy and education. We encourage you to sign up for this monthly update.
Featured Updates
U.S. Department of Labor Publishes Brief on Menstruation and Menopause in the Workplace
The Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau just published a brief on Menstruation and Menopause in the workplace. ISSA and our members met with the Bureau on a couple of occasions, and they spoke at the 2024 Clean Advocacy Summit in Washington D.C.
This Issue Brief details the impact of menstruation and menopause on workers and what types of policies and supports can be implemented to help improve employee experiences at work such as providing period products. Employers can take action with meaningful worker protections, flexibilities and accommodations to ensure workplaces are more inclusive of employees experiencing menstruation and the menopause transition; reduce the stigma surrounding these aspects of life; and improve all menstruators’ quality of life at work.
ISSA’s End Period Poverty Campaign Wins ASAE Summit Award
ISSA has been honored with the 2024 Power of Associations Summit Award by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). This prestigious award is a true testament to the commitment and dedication ISSA has poured into the End Period Poverty Campaign’s mission. With efforts to end the stigma and poverty menstruators face, ISSA was launched in 2022.
Legislative Updates
Check out the 2024 Menstrual Equity Legislative Recap from PERIOD., Alliance for Period Supplies and Period Law.
ARKANSAS
The Period Poverty Project Petition fell short of signatures to make the ballot for tax exemption for feminine hygiene products. Needing at least 90,000 signatures with representation from at least 50 of the 75 counties, the Arkansas Period Poverty Project only submitted 43,831 signatures with portions from 19 different counties. Despite not qualifying for this year’s ballot, the group has high hopes for their success in 2025.
CALIFORNIA
The state passed AB 1810 which will require readily available access to free period products for those who are incarcerated in state prisons or detention centers.
NEW JERSEY
Governor Phil Murphy signed A2027 to establish a “one-year State Work First New Jersey Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Pilot Program,” which allows each participant from ages 18 to 50 to receive a monthly benefit of $14 for menstrual products.
Additionally, beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, schools with grades 6-12 must offer free period products in at least 50% of their female and gender-neutral bathrooms. Here is a link to their implementation guide.
NEW YORK
The state passed AB 4060 which will require public colleges and universities to provide free period products in bathrooms.
PENNSYLVANIA
The state appropriated $3 million to put period products in schools. ISSA had conversations with the Pennsylvania governor’s office and provided information about best practices for implementation and lessons learned from other states.
Recent News
Price of Menstrual Products Increase
NBC NEWS: 1 in 3 teens can’t get tampons or pads during their periods, study finds
Where did the ‘Tampon Tim’ Walz nickname come from? We explain
ISSA wants to thank Anaya Andre for her valuable contributions to ending period poverty as an ISSA Government Affairs Intern this summer! We wish her the very best in her first year as a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Please contact us with any ISSA government affairs questions and/or comments that you may have. And thank you for supporting our advocacy efforts. You can find out more about ISSA’s End Period Poverty campaign and contribute here.
