Debates pertaining to the accessibility of female health care, including period products, have become increasingly relevant after the Supreme Court’s overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in 2022. One of the first steps to ensuring that proper health care is available to everyone is recognizing the necessity of period products. After a years-long effort spearheaded by Ella Farahnakian ’25 and Groton Feminists Faculty Head Mary Frances Bannard, the community has finally struck victory with the installation of free pad and tampon dispensers in women’s bathrooms across campus.
For years, Groton has provided other essentials such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and condoms, but left our school’s menstruators, who comprise 60 percent of our community, without the necessities to handle their needs. “Period products aren’t optional, or extra; they are essential for basic hygiene,” said Mrs. Bannard. “We would never not supply toilet paper in a bathroom. This is no different.”
Yet, until this year, the only availability of products were the pricey tampons sold in the school store. Noticing this disparity and the frustration of lacking menstrual care in times of need, Ella sought out to destigmatize periods and make products more available for students.
“I was inspired to implement the dispensers at Groton after all of my research on period poverty, sustainability in period products, and women-owned period brands,” Ella said. After conducting this research, she formulated a proposal for the product dispensers and approached Mrs. Bannard with her ideas. For years, Mrs. Bannard was at the forefront of our community’s battle for destigmatizing periods, from advocating with the Groton Feminists for menstrual needs and keeping a box of tampons in her classroom for students to take. Together, they brainstormed ways to implement period dispensers through the campus.
With immense support from various faculty and staff, the period product initiative took off, and Ella decided on the brand Aunt Flow for Groton’s period dispensers. “I chose this brand because it is sustainable: their tampons/products are completely made of cotton,” Ella said. “Not only does the brand make products but they are also huge advocates for period equality.”
After deciding on this brand, Ella worked with Academic Skills Coordinator and Latin teacher Kate Dennison—the other faculty head of Groton Feminists—as well as Registrar Christina Corcoran, English Department Head Sravani Sen-Das, and Headmaster Temba Maqubela to crunch the numbers before the initial order. In fall 2023, they made plans with Buildings and Grounds members to order supplies and officially launch the project.
Ella describes the reaction she received to the menstrual products’ installation to be overwhelmingly positive. “Students [came] up and thanked me, sometimes sending me photos of the dispensers,” Ella said. “The most gratifying response for me has been seeing the emptiness of the dispenser and knowing that they are being used.”
Ella and Mrs. Bannard remain hopeful about the future of menstrual care at Groton. “I hope that, eventually, we can have period products available in all bathrooms,” said Mrs. Bannard. “That way, regardless of what bathroom someone uses (male, female, or all gender), that person will always have access to tampons and pads if they need them.”
Simply put, period products are a basic need for our community. Period.
