College Students Demand Free Tampons

[Haiku]

And I don't use those cup things because it sounds uncomfortable and messy 

 

They aren't. I promise. Short of not having my period at all when I had an IUD, using a cup has been the absolute best way to handle having my period. It's almost like I don't have it at all.

[SparklyUnicorn]

yeah.  it's the nickles and dimes of "just this one thing won't matter" which kill budgets . . . .

 

It'll matter, but hey I had to pay $12 for one class in a fee at the CC so they can transport athletes to games.  Why do we all have to pay for that?   I don't play sports.  I don't like sports.  I don't go to the games.  And it's a CC!!  I don't even know why CCs have sports teams.

 

So charge me a couple of dollars to make some woman's life easier. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

They aren't. I promise. Short of not having my period at all when I had an IUD, using a cup has been the absolute best way to handle having my period. It's almost like I don't have it at all.

 

Well personal preference and TMI, but I don't wear tampons because no matter what I've tried they just hurt and I feel them.  I try about once a year just because I figure I must be doing something wrong.  Usually it is out of desperation of wanting to take my kids swimming.  Nope..can't find any that don't feel like someone shoved a dry stick up there.

[marbel]

Well personal preference and TMI, but I don't wear tampons because no matter what I've tried they just hurt and I feel them.  I try about once a year just because I figure I must be doing something wrong.  Usually it is out of desperation of wanting to take my kids swimming.  Nope..can't find any that don't feel like someone shoved a dry stick up there.

 

I understand this.  But some people won't wear a pad because they are uncomfortable.  Or they don't fit with their clothing.  Or... lots of reasons.

 

So how is a university going to keep up with what everyone needs?  

 

[Murphy101]

They aren't. I promise. Short of not having my period at all when I had an IUD, using a cup has been the absolute best way to handle having my period. It's almost like I don't have it at all.

And yet you rinse it out in a sink, yes? Ewwwww.ðŸ˜

 

I have heavy cycles and don't react well to tampons, I'd be worried about developing a reaction to those cups.

 

But I'm glad it works for you and if you were my roommate, I'd not freak out of knowing you rinse it out in the sink as long as you leave zero evidence that you do!😎

[gardenmom5]

It'll matter, but hey I had to pay $12 for one class in a fee at the CC so they can transport athletes to games.  Why do we all have to pay for that?   I don't play sports.  I don't like sports.  I don't go to the games.  And it's a CC!!  I don't even know why CCs have sports teams.

 

So charge me a couple of dollars to make some woman's life easier. 

 

I'd rather eliminate that $12 fee for transporting athletes.  the althetic dept should be paying those fees - not the entire student body.

 

eta: - female students who aren't involved in athletics would save more than the cost of sanitary products would cost.

Edited March 17, 2016 by gardenmom5

[Haiku]

You do realize you have probably washed hands in a sink that was used to rinse off blood and/or poop?  When I have an accident away from home, after all, I DO try to rinse out my underwear right away to avoid staining. And I've certainly done the same when my baby had a poop explosion.

 

Of course I realize this. But that doesn't mean that encouraging people to do unsanitary things is the answer.

 

I use a cup. I wash it in my bathroom sink. The difference is, I know what my status re: communicable diseases is, it is only my own family I am putting "at risk," and I am  m e t i c u l o u s about sanitizing the area afterward. I don't put that much faith in strangers, especially not after working retail and seeing what they are willing to do to someone else's accommodations.

[Haiku]

And yet you rinse it out in a sink, yes? 

 

Yes. My own. I am courteous enough not to do it in a public sink.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I understand this.  But some people won't wear a pad because they are uncomfortable.  Or they don't fit with their clothing.  Or... lots of reasons.

 

So how is a university going to keep up with what everyone needs?  

 

 

Oh pads suck.  No doubt about it.  LOL

 

Well some people have preferences in terms of toilet paper.  They don't usually care about that.  You get what they buy.  If you really hate it, you'd have to buy your own.  Something is certainly WAY better than nothing. 

 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Am I really the only one who routinely carries tissues, hand sanitizer, and menstrual products because I frequently end up in bathrooms that don't have toilet paper, soap, or paper towels? I must have taken that Boy Scout motto about being prepared to heart.

(snicker)

No, you're not.  I have them in each of my purses, my backpack, my gym bag, my emergency kit in the car, and I snuck some into DH's truck.  I will never ever be caught without menstrual products within reach or after a quick jaunt. 

ETA:  I have an open backpack policy with my DS's scout troop.  If the scouts need anything out of my pack they are welcome and encouraged to get in it and take whatever they need.  They quickly learned to avoid the right shoulder strap pocket as that is where I keep my feminine products.

 

--

When I worked for the local LAC, I had an embarrassing situation. I had heavy periods (now controlled with an IUD) and bled through my dress and all over my office chair 30 mins before I was supposed to attend a presentation by a renowned psychologist whose visit I had been anticipating for months.  The last thing to cross my mind as I drove the 20 mins home to clean up and change was that the school was responsible for my discomfort and inevitable absence from the presentation.  I was upset at myself for not having been more vigilant about changing my pad in time to prevent the bleed through. Maybe I should have demanded my employer provide pads, tampons, and a change of clothes in anticipation of my needs.  After all, the school provides coffee, coffee filters, paper cups, sugar and creamer to anyone who visited the office.  That's a target audience if I've ever seen one as there are people who either don't drink coffee, are allergic to caffeine, or cannot tolerate non-dairy creamer.  I guess I should have demanded it also offer tea (black and green), hot chocolate, juice, milk, almond milk, coconut milk, cups made from 100% recyclable or renewable resources....

Edited March 17, 2016 by ScoutermominIL

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ok, I'm really done talking about this. 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

An acquaintance of mine did "elimination communication" with her baby, which means you do not use diapers and teach them to go on cue from an early age. My sink was already close to being blocked, but she had the baby do her business in there. It wouldn't go away. That was yuck. 

 

That's rude.

[marbel]

Oh pads suck.  No doubt about it.  LOL

 

Well some people have preferences in terms of toilet paper.  They don't usually care about that.  You get what they buy.  If you really hate it, you'd have to buy your own.  Something is certainly WAY better than nothing. 

 

 

Toilet paper is not comparable at all.  Anyone can use any kind of toilet paper without discomfort (barring allergies to dyes and scents).   People have preferences, sure, but there is no type of toilet paper that is unusable by any set of people. 

[Murphy101]

Of course I realize this. But that doesn't mean that encouraging people to do unsanitary things is the answer.

 

I use a cup. I wash it in my bathroom sink. The difference is, I know what my status re: communicable diseases is, it is only my own family I am putting "at risk," and I am m e t i c u l o u s about sanitizing the area afterward. I don't put that much faith in strangers, especially not after working retail and seeing what they are willing to do to someone else's accommodations.

Yeah. I get that bc there is nothing like retail or restaurant work to make you see how truely disgusting humans are.

[Murphy101]

Yes. My own. I am courteous enough not to do it in a public sink.

But.... Periods aren't courteous. Periods don't give a damn where I am or what I'm doing. If I need to change or I need to change because I won't be able to later, I do what I gotta do.

 

So if for some reason you started to feel like you were leaking and the only option was public sink?

 

I'm assuming you'd suck it up and use the sink available.

[Haiku]

But.... Periods aren't courteous. Periods don't give a damn where I am or what I'm doing. If I need to change or I need to change because I won't be able to later, I do what I gotta do.

 

So if for some reason you started to feel like you were leaking and the only option was public sink?

 

I'm assuming you'd suck it up and use the sink available.

 

Nope. I'd thoroughly wash my hands, empty it into the toilet and put it back in unwashed. I'd wash it when I got home.

 

I've used a cup for four years now. I've never had an emergency.

 

Not at all like when I used pads ...

 

I used to think cloth pads were da bomb. Now I know better. The cup is a hundred zillion times better.

[fraidycat]

An acquaintance of mine did "elimination communication" with her baby, which means you do not use diapers and teach them to go on cue from an early age. My sink was already close to being blocked, but she had the baby do her business in there. It wouldn't go away. That was yuck.

My DS puked in my sink a couple days ago. Steps away from the toilet. It would not go down either. I had to sop it all up with paper towels to find the plug thing to take apart to clean it all out. It was lovely. Not.

 

I am thankful I had paper towels on hand, because I don't always!

[SKL]

The showers. I lived in a shared-by floor bathroom situation like that.  I don't remember noticing what others were doing at the sinks. But if I was of the kind to care what others thought and I was shy about others seeing when I had supplies to be cleaned and I wanted to use cloth pads, I'd have taken them into the shower with me and washed them there.  Our showers were individual with curtains and privacy

 

I wouldn't want people to do that.  I can't see how they could reliably clean up all the blood.  Seems it would splatter everywhere.  Assuming the water is coming out in a spray from overhead like most public showers I've used.

 

[Bluegoat]

There used to be a mall here that had toilet paper so bad people did not want to shop there  But in general, most people don't seem to carry their special 3-ply around so as to avoid using public toilets.

 

I think poor stocking is a legitimate complaint.  It's just bad management and it leaves people unsure what they need to do - they reasonably expect to have access to something and don't find out it is unavailable until it is too late to do anything.  If they are going to provide, it should be available where it is needed, or they should make it clear people need to bring their own.  (And actually a friend of mine who lived in a private residence room did have to buy her own.  Only the communal washrooms were stocked.)

 

I hate sports related fees at universities.  My college had pretty low ones - our teams weren't that serious and the gym was small, and really just very nice and usable without being at all fancy.  That seems ok to me, or not having one at all even. The larger university had a huge fitness complex though that cost a bundle.  I always found it annoying because if I wanted to spend money on a gym membership, I would have gone to the YMCA which I thought was a lot nicer and had more programs I would have wanted.

[Cindy in FL.]

So why have food stamps? It's not my damn problem if other people are too incompetent to figure out how to get food and take care of their personal need.

Did I say that people with a genuine need are incompetent? I am pretty sure that I did not. Getting people with genuine needs the means to take care of those needs s not what this thread was about at all.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Cindy in FL.

[JadeOrchidSong]

that's not free -my taxes pay for the library. my taxes pay for the bathrooms/porta-potties at the parks too.

Exactly!

Edited March 17, 2016 by JadeOrchidSong

[leeannpal]

Well then stop using the toilet paper at the library, public places, etc. Because you know, it's not indicative of good character to expect others to give you free stuff to take care of your personal needs. Better not use the soap when you wash your hands either...not without paying for it. And same with the paper towels.

You are missing a very important word in her post-demanding. When I go in a place of business, I don't demand they provide anything free to me.

[JadeOrchidSong]

I will have to remember to bring toilet paper in May when I am in my home country. In restaurants even paper napkins are NOT provided, so everyone carries toilet paper and paper napkins in their purses/bags. I will survive totally fine even after 16 years of all these things provided in this U. S.

[rdj2027]

I wonder whether there are young women on campus who do use cloth pads by choice.  How do they handle it?  Or do they all just switch to disposable until they live off campus?

 

In the dorm where I lived, the only running water was the shower or the (not-private) hand-washing sinks.  Maybe you could fill up some basins and go wash them in your room, but I don't know ... it sounds pretty complicated.  I can't think of any place on campus where a woman could have running water and privacy at the same time.

I had a friend who did it.  She bought a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and stored it behind her bed.  She got up early on Saturday or Sunday mornings and washed them out in the bathroom, took them down to the dryer and spent 50 cents to dry them.

 

I was living off campus because I was married and we could not afford married student housing.  I collected mine in a large ziploc baggie and washed them at home.  The year our son was born we were in our last year of college.  Because we were enrolled full-time we did not qualify for anything at all except WIC. Our gross income was $11,000 and even in the mid-90s it was about half of what was considered the poverty line for 3 people.  We made do.  Funny to think that said son is now in college himself :)

[Tsuga]

That's rude.

 

Beyond rude, it's really appalling. We did gradual potty training / EC. My kids did not go potty in sinks. Ever.

 

 

As for a small minority... what? Last time I checked over 50% of college students (well over 50%) were pre-menopausal women...

[JumpyTheFrog]

Well personal preference and TMI, but I don't wear tampons because no matter what I've tried they just hurt and I feel them.  I try about once a year just because I figure I must be doing something wrong.  Usually it is out of desperation of wanting to take my kids swimming.  Nope..can't find any that don't feel like someone shoved a dry stick up there.

 

I never liked tampons, although I used to use them in high school. When I played soccer I needed a tampon and a pad to prevent leakage. When I read about menstrual cups on Usenet in 2000 I had to have one imported. It was one of the best purchases of my life. Not only does it save money, it is way, way more comfortable than all other options. If you have the right size and insert it correctly, you can't feel it at all.

[gardenmom5]

Well personal preference and TMI, but I don't wear tampons because no matter what I've tried they just hurt and I feel them.  I try about once a year just because I figure I must be doing something wrong.  Usually it is out of desperation of wanting to take my kids swimming.  Nope..can't find any that don't feel like someone shoved a dry stick up there.

 

the only time I have that happen I'm using one that is too absorbent for the level of flow.   so, I go down a size.

 

just a PSA . . . they aren't meant to be left in for hours and hours (or longer).  this brings to mind the recent case of the girl with TSS who was suing the manufacturer . . . she left it in for 36?48? hours?  seriously?  and you think you're not responsible? 

which is a legal argument for why colleges shouldn't supply them - there are stupid girls who will leave it in, get sick,  then go sue the school for not 'warning' them they needed to change it more often than once every two days.  sheesh.

[JumpyTheFrog]

 

 

Last week, Columbia University announced that it would begin providing free tampons in its health center after spring break. In an email to students, Ben Mankansi, president of the Columbia College Student Council, said the decision followed weeks of conversations with students and campus officials, and that the products may eventually be provided in restrooms, as well. Mankansi first publicly proposed the idea during a council meeting last month.

“While this may seem like a peculiar addition to the average student council meeting, that these requests needed to be made indicates the university’s utter lack of support for people who menstruate, a group that includes a significant portion of the student body,†Courtney Couillard, a junior at Barnard College, wrote in the Columbia student newspaper after the meeting. “Sure, I can easily find a free condom on Barnard and Columbia’s campuses, but why can’t I find a free tampon in the bathrooms? Why does the administration care about my sexual protective rights, but not how I handle my monthly menstrual cycle?â€

 

So this student feels demeaned that women had to ask? The university or student government should've read people's minds and known that women wanted tampons to be available for free?

 

 

 

 

The student later used two bobby pins to break into “all the tampon and pad dispensers [she] could find†on campus, stacking the products on top of the machines for others to use. The machines were not permanently damaged, and Rennick's protest got the attention of campus officials.

“I freed your tampons kept behind lock, key and quarter,†she wrote to the college. “Bleeding bodies deserve to think about Foucault and micro-organisms and the history of the bleeding bodies that came before them. When we menstruate, however unexpectedly, we should not feel fear in the pits of our stomachs because of your lack of foresight. We are a part of this college. Provide free menstrual products to students who need them so I can stop picking the locks on your bogus machines.â€

 

She thinks the college is giving her no choice but to vandalize the machines because she has been unprepared before.

 

The words and actions of the above women are why people are calling them entitled. Many posters in this thread (which I never imagined would get this long) have made good points about feminine products not being as different from soap and toilet paper as I initially thought. However, some of the students aren't going about things in a way that makes people willing to listen and change their mind.

 

[marbel]

I think we can compare this to a university's meal plan. Granted, this is paid for ---but some schools require a kid to pay for a plan. So, why should I pay for "your" kid's Kosher or Halal Prepared food, it surely is an added cost. There's a minority of kids needing it....hey! maybe it's because a university strives to be accommodating to their students and the parents..and there are a great deal of schools where the majority are female..

I'd never think to object to these added food costs, and it wouldn't dawn on me to claim these kids are not being responsible for themselves, I realize that a good school listens to the needs of their paying customers. So it still boggles my mind how some think getting a darn tampon teaches them to become lazy/beggers/ not self reliant. It's a huge stretch.

 

Just as it's not practical for people to fight their own house fires or build their own roads, it is not practical for students living in a dorm to store and prepare all their own food.   For most people, it is pretty easy to go out and buy menstrual products (barring serious financial need which has already been discussed).  So, no, I don't think it's comparable.

 

FWIW, I don't think providing female students with menstrual products is necessarily going to make them all become lazy beggars. It might make some.  But I see no purpose to the school providing something that most students can obtain on their own based on their own preferences and needs.  And, as others have said, if there is severe financial need, that should be addressed - but not by giving everyone "free" stuff.

 

Edited March 18, 2016 by marbel

[SKL]

So it still boggles my mind how some think getting a darn tampon teaches them to become lazy/beggers/ not self reliant. It's a huge stretch.

 

I didn't choose those epithets, but I think the problem is the mindset that says University, you are supposed to take care of me.  You are supposed to make sure I have every need met, and you are supposed to make sure that when I make a mistake, I don't have consequences.

 

If this logic is allowed to stand, then it can be applied to all kinds of ridiculous things.  "University, you should have made sure I studied enough for this algebra test."  "University, you should have put me on birth control pills since it was foreseeable that I wouldn't bother with the condom you provided."  "University, when I decided to drink and drive or text and drive, that was you not watching out for me."

 

If the university is arguably responsible for anything that an adult normally takes care of independently, then the university should have the right to treat students like children, have curfews, random drug tests, and all sorts of rules and restrictions that don't sound right to us as adults.  And then, when the inevitable happens anyway, the university will get sued anyway.

 

How the university responds to this foolish letter will affect whether students view the university as their vendor or their hovering parent.  I think that's important.

[Haiku]

I think we can compare this to a university's meal plan.

I was talking about public libraries and stores that offer public bathrooms.

[SKL]

Even if the university had given every student 100 tampons when they arrived in the fall, it would not have been good enough, because Miss Columbia forgot to stash some in her new backpack.  University should know that not only are women too stupid to plan ahead, but also that if some blood drips into one's underwear, this is a national tragedy that must be averted at all costs.

[Guest]

I wonder whether there are young women on campus who do use cloth pads by choice. How do they handle it? Or do they all just switch to disposable until they live off campus?

 

In the dorm where I lived, the only running water was the shower or the (not-private) hand-washing sinks. Maybe you could fill up some basins and go wash them in your room, but I don't know ... it sounds pretty complicated. I can't think of any place on campus where a woman could have running water and privacy at the same time.

Speaking from experience, you can absolutely use cloth pads and menstrual cups in the dorms. I stash my stuff in a wet bag and wash it at the end of the week - and the blood always comes out. I have a horribly heavy, long period and always have. It is no issue.

 

Washing menstrual products is no more gross than washing underwear in a communal washer, and I've done it with zero issues. It was much easier than trying to get to the store to get disposables, truth be told.

[Tanaqui]

Well personal preference and TMI, but I don't wear tampons because no matter what I've tried they just hurt and I feel them.  I try about once a year just because I figure I must be doing something wrong.  Usually it is out of desperation of wanting to take my kids swimming.  Nope..can't find any that don't feel like someone shoved a dry stick up there.

 

I have that same problem with tampons, but cups are another kettle of fish entirely.

 

[fraidycat]

I have that same problem with tampons, but cups are another kettle of fish entirely.

I agree.

Edited March 18, 2016 by fraidycat

[lulalu]

Well this has made me want to try a cup ;)

[Joanne]

The thread is 9 pages of a bloody mess.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Joanne

[MotherGoose]

Just thought of an analogy: men's razors and shaving cream. No, they don't have to shave, but most want to, especially before a job interview or something. And many jobs require a clean shave, or at least a neat beard. And that's daily. Should the school provide razors to them? In the case of men with heavy beards that costs way more than tampons.

Edited March 18, 2016 by MotherGoose

[*Lulu*]

Just thought of an analogy: men's razors and shaving cream. No, they don't have to shave, but most want to, especially before a job interview or something. And many jobs require a clean shave, or at least a neat beard. And that's daily. Should the school provide razors to them? In the case of men with heavy beards that costs way more than tampons.

Except it isn't the same.

 

Me can choose not to shave, and it costs them nothing.

 

Menstration is not optional for women.

[Haiku]

I don't like the idea that we somehow have to make it up to women for the fact that they are women. Women have periods. It's part of being a woman. I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me because of that or tell me that I deserve to be catered to because I have to endure a period, poor me.

 

I don't think the girls who are demanding free menstrual products because they are so unable to handle having a period realize that they are making women look weak and whiny. They are infantilizing women by stating that we need to be taken care of by others just because we're women.

Edited March 18, 2016 by TaraTheLiberator

[MotherGoose]

Except it isn't the same.

 

Me can choose not to shave, and it costs them nothing.

 

Menstration is not optional for women.

I submit that it is the same in many ways. Men cannot control the hair growing from their faces. Society says that they need to shave for a professional, clean appearance. DH job requires a clean shave, and most employers want at minimum a short, neat beard, which requires daily maintenance for men with heavy beards at least. And they have to shave daily, where women's periods only come once a month. I'm playing devil's advocate here, but I think it's also true (and exposes the slippery slope of "demands" like these.) Now if it was women wanting free razors for legs and armpits, well, you can cover that up.

[Lady Florida.]

This showed up on my facebook feed this morning. The person who posted it was in favor.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/free-tampons-nyc-schools_us_56e8370de4b0b25c91835cb8?utm_hp_ref=whats-working

 

A quote from the article brings up the same thing some posters here have repeatedly pointed out.

 

“Tampons and pads should be treated just like toilet paper,†said Nancy Kramer, the woman behind the “Free the Tampons“ campaign, to The Huffington Post earlier this month. â€œThey serve the same purpose — items to tend to our everyday, normal bodily functions.†

[ktgrok]

Except it isn't the same.

 

Me can choose not to shave, and it costs them nothing.

 

Menstration is not optional for women.

 

Also, they can do it once, at home, then go about their day. When I menstruate I have to take care of it in a public bathroom if I'm out and about. Like pooping. 

 

I don't poop at regular intervals, I can't always anticipate when it will happen to schedule my day around it, and sometimes it takes me by surprise. So I'm glad they provide toilet paper if and when I need it. Because eventually I will need it. same with a period...eventually every woman will menstruate and need supplies. 

 

Not every man will shave, nor will it come up suddenly or unpredictably. 

[Laurie4b]

I agree with pp who said that it could best be thought of as akin to toilet paper.  When one travels internationally, toilet paper is not always provided. Toilet paper is an expectation in the US. 

 

I have only read the first page of replies, so I don't know whether anyone has brought up the issue of how much more it costs to be a woman than a man. We are charged more for haircuts and clothes, for instance. Sanitary products are part of this. I have always accepted the situation "as is" except when I was once overcharged by a mechanic in a situation in which I was pretty sure it was because I was a woman. In addition to it costing more to be women, we make less than men make. 

 

So I don't think the request for sanitary products is just spoiled brat entitlement. It shocks us primarily because we've accepted the status quo. 

[Haiku]

Also, they can do it once, at home, then go about their day. When I menstruate I have to take care of it in a public bathroom if I'm out and about. Like pooping. 

 

I don't poop at regular intervals, I can't always anticipate when it will happen to schedule my day around it, and sometimes it takes me by surprise. So I'm glad they provide toilet paper if and when I need it. Because eventually I will need it. same with a period...eventually every woman will menstruate and need supplies. 

 

Not every man will shave, nor will it come up suddenly or unpredictably. 

 

But for the most part, women don't suddenly and unexpectedly menstruate. There are physical signs it's coming, and it happens on a more or less predictable schedule.

 

And while it is impractical for everyone to tote around their own toilet, it is simple to cary around a pad, tampon, or cup.

[ktgrok]

And I do want to say I'm not in favor of free tampons/pads for everyone all the time no matter what, just showing up at your door in your preference of brand. I've been referring to the vending machines in the bathrooms. So comparable to toilet paper. Buy your own when at home, but use what's available when in a public restroom if you need to. 

[marbel]

I agree with pp who said that it could best be thought of as akin to toilet paper.  When one travels internationally, toilet paper is not always provided. Toilet paper is an expectation in the US. 

 

I have only read the first page of replies, so I don't know whether anyone has brought up the issue of how much more it costs to be a woman than a man. We are charged more for haircuts and clothes, for instance. Sanitary products are part of this. I have always accepted the situation "as is" except when I was once overcharged by a mechanic in a situation in which I was pretty sure it was because I was a woman. In addition to it costing more to be women, we make less than men make. 

 

So I don't think the request for sanitary products is just spoiled brat entitlement. It shocks us primarily because we've accepted the status quo. 

 

Where I get my hair cut, men's and women's are the same.  (cheap walk-in salon)  But typically, a woman's hair takes much longer than a man's to cut and style.  Seems appropriate that the hair that takes more time and more work would cost more, doesn't it?

 

Clothing?  Really?  I don't usually ask for evidence of an assertion but I'm wondering if there is some study showing this. I think there are too many factors to consider for anyone to make a blanket statement like that.  

 

I don't need sanitary products any more but I am not convinced I spent more on those than my husband spends on shaving needs.  I know it is not a perfect equivalent but he does need to shave.  I suspect many office dress codes would not allow for ZZ Top-style beards.   Firefighters in many places in the US cannot have beards; it's a safety issue.  Should they get shaving stuff provided by their fire company since they have to shave?   

 

Living costs money.  I am not sure any good can come from comparing which sex has more costs incurred by their simple existence.   

[Haiku]

We are charged more for haircuts and clothes, for instance. 

 

These are choices. My husband cuts my hair in a simple, short cut. I don't have to go to a salon and spend $90 to get a cut and color like my best friend does. Simple, well-made clothing does not have to be costly; purchasing a skirt suit often is not nearly as expensive as purchasing a men's suit.

 

A lot of things that cost more for women only cost more because we want something fancier. You can get your hair cut shoulder length with straight bangs for $14.99 at SuperCuts.

[Lady Florida.]

Where I get my hair cut, men's and women's are the same.  (cheap walk-in salon)  But typically, a woman's hair takes much longer than a man's to cut and style.  Seems appropriate that the hair that takes more time and more work would cost more, doesn't it?

 

Clothing?  Really?  I don't usually ask for evidence of an assertion but I'm wondering if there is some study showing this. I think there are too many factors to consider for anyone to make a blanket statement like that.  

 

 

Living costs money.  I am not sure any good can come from comparing which sex has more costs incurred by their simple existence.   

 

Here are just a few articles from a simple search on "do women's clothes cost more than men's". The first points out that with imported clothing, the tax is often higher for women's clothes, for no discernible reason. All of the articles discuss the various ways women pay more for the same products than men (and sometimes even get less). 

 

http://www.marieclaire.com/career-advice/news/a6999/why-do-women-pay-more/

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/womens-products-more-expensive-than-mens-2015-4

 

http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/12/women-vs-men-products-cost/

 

 

Of course living costs money. How does that make gender discrimination in the form of a "pink tax" okay?

Edited March 18, 2016 by Lady Florida

[Bluegoat]

And I do want to say I'm not in favor of free tampons/pads for everyone all the time no matter what, just showing up at your door in your preference of brand. I've been referring to the vending machines in the bathrooms. So comparable to toilet paper. Buy your own when at home, but use what's available when in a public restroom if you need to. 

 

You know though these kinds of public vending machines seem to be much less common than they used to be.  Which makes me think that either they aren't all that well used, or they have significant maintanence issues.  Higher end businesses are usually willing to supply those kinds of services if people want them, so I don't think it is just about being cheap.

 

I suspect if suddenly toilet paper was offered in paid dispensers, after people got used to it and stopped complaining, most people would use them as long as it wasn't a total rip off.  That doesn't seem to be so really with pad tampon dispensers, most people seem to not prefer them.

 

I rather wonder, if they were to poll the women in the university, or maybe do a test, how many would actually choose to pay, say, 25 cents for a pad from a machine rather than bring their own.