The Year The Period Went Public

Cosmo dubbed 2015 The Year The Period Went Public.

NPR called it The Year Of The Period.

Newsweek declared that 2016 has signaled something even bigger: The

Year Of Menstrual Change.

Around the globe there is growing awareness of, and demand for solutions to, the financial burden of menstruation. The price of poor menstrual hygiene can be devastating, even deadly. It is linked to skyrocketing rates of reproductive infection and illness in developing countries; an added dose of stigma and shame can keep girls from attending school during their periods and otherwise living healthy lives. Here in the United States, low-income women and girls share a similar struggle, especially those who are homeless or incarcerated; inability to afford or access sanitary products can compromise their health, productivity and dignity.

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf is a leading writer and advocate on the issue of menstrual health, fairness and equity. Her words and ideas inspire action. She partners with policymakers to pioneer viable solutions … with lawyers who develop critical legal theories to advance menstrual equity … with enterprising entrepreneurs who create markets for innovative, sustainable products … with activists who spearhead savvy social media campaigns and donation projects … and with journalists who amplify the message. Through all her work, including her forthcoming book, PERIODS GONE PUBLIC (Skyhorse Publishing, Sept. 2017), Jen is helping to coalesce and advance this growing global movement.

Click on the links below to read a selection of Jen’s op-eds and essays, which have elevated the national dialogue, as well as some other terrific articles:

Cosmo “Could This Be the Beginning of the End of the Tampon Tax?”	NPR “Gender Bias and the Tampon Tax”
TIME “America’s Very Real Menstrual Crisis”	Wall Street Journal “Should Women Pay Tax On Tampons?”
Newsweek “Feminine Hygiene Products Should be Free in School”	Upworthy “The Tampon Tax is Real”
The New York Times “Helping Women and Girls. Period.”	The Atlantic “The Tampon Tax in the Spotlight”
The New York Times “Menstruation Innovation: Lessons from India.”	Fusion “These Are the States that Tax Women for Having Periods”
The Nation “Why Are We Paying Sales Tax On Tampons?”	The New York Times “Menstruation Joins the Economic Conversation”
New York Daily News “Time to Shelve the Tampon Tax”	attn: “Why Your Period is Being Unfairly Taxed”
New York Daily News “For Equity Give Out Tampons In Schools”	The Hill “The Tampon Tax Comes Under Fire”
Ms. Magazine “Period Positivity: NYC Leads the Way.”	Cosmo “Why The Hell Are Tampons Still Taxed?”
Ms. Magazine “Stop Taxing Menstruation”	New York Magazine “NYC High School Offers Free Tampons”
Ms. Magazine “Periods Went Public in 2015: Here’s What’s Next!”	Gotham Gazette “NYC To Improve Tampon Access”
Ms. Magazine “Menstrual Products Are Taxed in 40 States”	Upworthy “NYC Official Boldly Changing Tampon Access”
Ms. Magazine “Periods Gone Public”	NPR “Why 2015 Was The Year of the Period”
Medium “Blood In The Streets”	The Daily Caller “CA Pushes Back Against Tampon Tax”