Pima County Board of Supervisors Proclaims Period Poverty Awareness Week

Donate to the menstrual product drive, May 24^th-May 28^th  

Pima County, AZ – Supervisor Adelita Grijalva and the District Five Office are collaborating with the YWCA of Southern Arizona and the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona to host a menstrual product drive from May 24^th to May 28^th in honor of Period Poverty Awareness Week. 

“We are excited to partner with Supervisor Grijalva and the Diaper Bank to address the disparity in access to menstrual products, which are a basic human need to those who menstruate,” said Magdalena Verdugo, CEO of YWCA Southern Arizona.

            Supervisor Grijalva read a proclamation declaring the week of May 24^th to May 30^th to be Period Poverty Awareness Week at the May 4^th Board of Supervisors meeting. 

             “Everyone deserves to live a happy and healthy life, and your period should not get in the way of that,” Supervisor Grijalva said.  

The proclamation notes that according to Arizona law, “menstrual products are deemed non-essential goods that are essential to the health and economic well-being of menstruators in both overcoming and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

 “One in four women have struggled to purchase period products in the past year due to lack of income, which highlights the need for donations as well as long term changes,” said Dr. Shannon Roberts, the CEO of Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona.

            Many policies at all levels of governance create obstacles to equal access to menstrual products. Sales taxes, reduced access to these products in prisons and jails, and the fact that menstrual products are excempted from public health benefits programs, all contribute to the inequality. Pads and tampons are also not freely available in schools, homeless shelters, and other public areas. 

Pima County residents are encouraged to donate menstrual products generously during the special week. Donation sites include the District 5 Office, YWCA, and The Diaper Bank, TUSD District Office, SUSD District Office, Valencia Library, Martha Cooper Library, Richard Elias-Mission Library, Joel D Valdez Main Library, Pima County Recorder’s Office, Pima County Youth One Stop, Pima County Housing Center, MSA Annex, Mercado San Agustin, Ward 1- Lane Santa Cruz, Ward 5- Richard Fimbres, Ward 6- Steve Kozachick. Donations of pads, liners, tampons, and menstrual cups are welcome. For the complete list of donation sites, visit www.adelitasgrijalva.com/endperiodpoverty.