COMMENTARY: My role in advocating for menstrual equity

 

At a Young Women’s Initiative Day at the Minnesota Capitol, I met Mary Kenny, who was tabling for a Menstrual Products in Schools toolkit. I was interested in being involved and signed on to the project as a high school student from St. Michael-Albertville. Over the next few months, I worked with Kenny about how my perspectives might benefit the toolkit development. Along the way, I learned about menstrual equity issues, the process of legislation, and the role of advocacy to shape the community we want to be part of.

I have a passion for social justice issues, but did not have a lot of opportunities to engage prior to this experience. Being part of this community made me feel less alone in my desire to address inequities and helped shape my understanding of true fellowship. For this work, I offered feedback on the development of the toolkit, and created social media posts that helped raise awareness about the purpose of the toolkit and its release in August.

 

 

A statute passed by the Minnesota legislature in 2023 provided for better access to menstrual products in public schools, for grades 4 to 12, but that did not mean all schools were able to keep a supply on hand. The statute was passed with a collective effort — high school students took the lead. Kenny and Kara Cowell, students at the University of Minnesota, wanted to see it succeed, with an ability to help schools be accountable for implementing the access. They were lead authors of the toolkit.

The Menstrual Products in Schools Toolkit was released in August 2025 to assist and support educators and student menstrual advocates in schools. It is a resource that provides a breakdown of the legislation, best practices support for implementation, and tips for speaking about menstrual health to students. The toolkit aims to make teachers’ and janitorial staffs’ support of menstruators easier and more effective.

Cowell has been involved in the legislation since its creation. She told me, “The most inspiring sense of community was present during the advocacy for the statute — the strong range of student voices — supported by mentors, school staff, and others, to bring the reality of the experience of menstruating in school to life.”

Kenny is a graduate student in gender equity and public health fields, and said, “Community and interdisciplinary teamwork is crucial within public health advocacy and gender equity efforts. We are a stronger team with more voices, backgrounds, identities, and perspectives, as it allows for broader thinking, new initiatives, bridge building, unity, and equity.”

As a current high schooler, I know my fellow students face many obstacles throughout the day surrounding menstruation – being stressed needing to miss class to go to the bathroom, and being embarrassed to handle menstrual products in front of peers. Students also forget or can’t afford menstrual products, making going to school that much harder.

For the toolkit, I recommended a video that supports high school needs, such as explaining common symptoms and providing reassurance about what is normal and expected. I suggested working with a trusted adult to provide encouragement and to help students get started if a student needs to advocate for successful implementation, such as better location of products.

I asked Kenny why she wanted to include a high school student like me in the toolkit development. She told me that advocating for menstrual health and equity is a global and national issue. Its most powerful advocacy comes from student organizing and lobbying. The work this year, after the statute took effect, she says, “was a great way to include more voices, ideas, and reflections into the toolkit creation process.”

During my involvement in developing the toolkit, I was aware that I was helping to leave my footprint in a social issue. It makes me genuinely happy that I might make a difference to any Minnesota student who can now find it easier to get through the school day with the products they need.

When you examine the scope of large-scale advocacy, you can break it down into communities that are made up of individuals. These individuals become mentors, giving space for new members to learn and grow. Communal advocacy drives change forward.

As I look back on my first experience in advocacy, I’ve been able to witness how people are supporting the newest generation — and how powerful that is. I’m humbled by my exposure to vast networks of people across Minnesota dedicated to being mentors, enabling our communities to grow and thrive.

 

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