Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has launched a new initiative to make menstrual products available for free in 68 state parks, just ahead of the busy summer season. The products, including tampons and sanitary pads, are now stocked in park offices, visitor centers and environmental education centers at participating parks.
The initiative builds upon the menstrual equity advocacy undertaken by Pennsylvania First Lady Lori Shapiro, who also spearheaded a $3 million program to stock menstrual products in the bathrooms of the commonwealth’s K-12 public and charter schools as well as career and technical centers. At a press conference last week, Shapiro said residents should not have to leave a state park to find basic hygiene supplies.
“Unfortunately, too many women and girls lack access to period products they need,” she said. “And if you happen to find yourself in one of our state parks and in need of a basic hygiene supply … you shouldn't have to cut your visit short to find it somewhere else. It should be here.”
Shapiro said recent conversations with nonprofits that distribute feminine hygiene products and students at schools across the commonwealth have made clear the need for easy access to menstrual products in public spaces.
“I've been so inspired by all the young women I've met who are making their voices heard and starting conversations on period poverty — talking so comfortably about something that, for so long, has been a taboo subject,” she said.
Just over half of Pennsylvania’s state parks, 68 locations, will have hygiene products available to parkgoers. Shapiro said the state plans to expand the amenity to more parks in the future.
Several parks in the broader Western Pennsylvania region are included in the 68 parks stocked with menstrual products, including McConnells Mill in Lawrence County, Moraine in Butler, Keystone in Westmoreland and Ohiopyle in Fayette County.
The nearest state park to Pittsburgh now stocked with hygiene supplies is Raccoon Creek in Beaver County. Neither of Allegheny County’s two state park locations — Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, and the underdeveloped Allegheny Islands State Park in Harmar Township — are included in the first round of the initiative.
A full list of parks offering free menstrual products can be found here.
Parks stocked with menstrual products will have signs and dispensers with information written in English and in Spanish.
Ruby Mundok, executive director of the governor’s Advisory Commission on Next Generation Engagement, said young people she’s spoken with are seeking to remove the stigma of menstruation by making necessities like menstrual products more widely available.
“Menstrual products are a basic necessity, not a luxury, and access to them should be as fundamental as access to soap and toilet paper in the restroom,” she said. “Providing these free products in our state parks is a huge step towards ensuring all individuals can fully enjoy the outdoors without barriers.”
The Shapiro administration has prioritized initiatives that improve the accessibility of public spaces, including stocking menstrual products in state office buildings. Lori Shapiro said the parks initiative is the latest iteration of that broader effort.
“I want everyone to be able to enjoy their time outdoors, and DCNR's work to get free menstrual products in the bathrooms and visitor offices of our state parks is critical to making our outdoor spaces welcoming to everyone," Shapiro said.