Associated Students of the University of Washington
Student Senate
Session 16
 

A Resolution in support of Feminine Hygiene Product Accessibility

WHEREAS the University of Washington Facilities Services’ declared vision reads as follows: “Facilities Services is a world-class organization providing exceptional service anywhere, anytime to enable discovery and excellence at the University of Washington;” and

WHEREAS the UW Custodial Service’s mission statement reads, “We deliver custodial services that provide exceptionally clean and sanitary environments for students, faculty, staff, and visitors for learning, teaching, research, and work;” and

WHEREAS the most recently updated list of tampon/sanitary napkin dispensers available on UW’s campus provided by Custodial Services is dated from November 1999; and

WHEREAS this list provides the locations for only 66 of the listed 213 buildings owned by the University of Washington on campus that enable women to purchase feminine products[1]; and

WHEREAS this list does not include major, heavy-traffic buildings such as the Husky Student Union Building (HUB), Thomson Hall, Meany Hall, Hall Health Center, and all eight UW residence halls; and

WHEREAS the average woman will have a menstrual period anywhere from 3 to 7 days, and will use an average of 20 tampons or pads in that period of time[2]; and

WHEREAS only 6 out of these 66 buildings (or 11%) have more than one tampon/sanitary napkin dispenser; and

WHEREAS the placement of only one feminine product machine in a multistory building makes finding the necessary materials troublesome, unmanageable and even embarrassing to women; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON:

THAT the ASUW requests that the University of Washington’s Custodial Services conduct a campus-wide audit and update their files concerning campus feminine product dispensers; and

THAT the ASUW requests that the UW Custodial Services provide a revised list of readily available locations of tampons/sanitary napkins in every women’s bathroom on campus; and

THAT the ASUW encourages the UW Custodial Services to provide more tampon dispensers than one per building for a higher convenience to women; and

THAT the ASUW encourages UW Custodial Services to maintain these updated lists in the future; and

THAT a copy of this legislation be forward to UW Custodial Services Director Gene Woodard, Associate Vice President of UW Facilities Services Charles Kennedy, Housing and Food Services President Pam Schreiber and the Vice Provost for Student Life Eric Godfrey.

[1] List is found on http://www.washington.edu/maps/; the number 213 does not include locations like the Stadium Concessions and the Commodore-Duchess Apartments

[2] http://www.bized.co.uk/current/mind/2005_6/120905.htm

History of Legislation

03/20/2010: Submitted for consideration
03/30/2010: Referred to the Campus Affairs Committee
03/30/2010: Reported Without Opinion by the Campus Affairs Committee
03/30/2010: Placed on First Reading
04/06/2010: Placed on Second Reading
04/06/2010: Amended by the Senate
04/06/2010: Passed by the Senate

Legislation ID:
R-16-26

Date Submitted:
03/20/2010

Sponsor:
Dabney Donigan- Hansee Hall Senator

Cosponsor(s):
Cassie Hoeprich- Women's Action Commission Director
Madeleine McKenna- ASUW Vice President
Conor McLean- ASUW Finance & Budgeting Director
Maggie Bennett- ASUW Director of Organizational Relations
Dusty Wight- Terry Hall Senator
Eric Shellan- Associate Director of OGR
Teodora Popescu- VP of Young Democrats