The Sociology Club event in the Carl Hansen Student Center was the club’s first to feature a panel discussion on period poverty, said Alise Kayser ’25, club president.

“We try to incorporate different panels to bring different social issues to the students,” said Kayser. “Professor Solomon is really passionate about this, so we were really glad we could make it come to life here.”

Professor of Sociology, Catherine Solomon, moderated the panel discussion with Jennifer Tolman, president and chief operating officer of Dignity Grows and State Representative Kate Farrar, who helped champion Connecticut’s menstrual equity bill. The bill was signed into state law in 2022.

Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Dignity Grows is the nation’s nonprofit leader in the fight against period poverty. Dignity Grows partnered with the Quinnipiac Sociology Club to present the October 3 event.

Tolman said a paradigm shift is needed to redefine the concept of poverty so that it includes period poverty. She noted the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau determined 11.1% of Americans were recognized as living in poverty, but that same year 35.8% of American women and girls faced period poverty.

“That is a tremendous difference, and it really challenges us to redefine how we consider poverty,” Tolman said. “If we’re going to talk about gender equity and gender health equity, we have to consider that the definition of poverty isn’t really capturing women’s health needs typically related to the natural cycles of the female body.”

Dignity Grows is also working to change assumptions about where period poverty exists and looking beyond socio-economic stability as an underlying cause.

“Connecticut is perceived as an affluent state, but it’s important to expand the conversation because every corner of every community has period poverty,” said Tolman. “This is a state where we’re facing period poverty not only in urban settings but also in rural settings, where often the challenge has to do with where things are located and the ability to get to them.”

Those experiencing period poverty are faced with interruption to routines, work, wages, education and being a part of the community.

“This is one of the few pieces of poverty that really keep you from being a part of your daily routine," said Tolman. "We’re very comfortable and fluent in the idea of food insecurity, but you can leave the house hungry. If you’re menstruating and don’t have a period product, you’re stuck.”

These regular disruptions exacerbate the cycle of poverty so that it becomes generational poverty. Additional ripple effects, such as sociological impacts, are also prevalent. For example, among women who self-report experiencing period poverty, over 60% said it’s had a negative impact on their mental health, Tolman said.

Farrar discussed Connecticut’s Menstrual Equity Law, which requires public schools, prisons and higher education institutions to provide menstrual products, and allows public institutions to also accept donations and grants to purchase menstrual products. Drafted with input from students, another substantial element of the law makes sure that restrooms, including a number of boys’ and men’s restrooms, have products.

“That inclusivity was something that we heard directly from students,” said Farrar.

Farrar said the law also addresses the inequity of having restroom dispensers which charge women and girls for period products.

“The fact that we have to enter into any restroom and there can be toilet paper and paper towels, but not a product that we need on monthly basis, dumbfounds me,” said Farrar. “Why is our world set up in a way for us to feel constrained or shamed about something that is just part of our monthly lives?”

Farrar encouraged the students to help to change mindsets, such as the changeover to cost-free dispensary machines which she enacted at the legislative building in Hartford, Connecticut before the bill became law.

“It’s really that mindset shift and us looking at how we can show up in the world, and how our spaces that we live and try to thrive in are designed so that we are a part of being able to feel welcomed and safe and supported,” said Farrar.

Working with schools to comply with the state law’s requirement for free products and dispensers in buildings also included engaging students, Farrar noted.

“Centering this on the student experience and students being able to voice what they need and want is really pivotal to this working,” Farrar said.

Farrar said that Quinnipiac students can also get involved with advocacy on campus and beyond.

“On campus, there are some student government efforts which I’m sure could use more support and that you all could get engaged with, because it’s going to need sustainable advocacy to make that long-term change on your campus,” said Farrar. “In your state, I would encourage you to email your state representative about any issue that you care about. I can tell you that any legislator pays particular note when a student comes to us. Your passion and your advocacy are the indicators of what we need to do for the future. You have the power and opportunity to make change.”

Solomon said she felt the large number attending the Dignity in Flow event reflected students’ concern and support for the issue of gender equity.

“I think that gender equity is such an important issue and that we’re recognizing that gender equity has other aspects that need to be addressed," said Solomon. "To think about not having access to period products on such a basic level so that we can’t leave home, or go to school, is very impactful."

Over 60 students attended the event. They represented a wide range of campus community, said Sociology Club Vice President Emma Gacek ’25.

“Within the Sociology Club, we always say everyone is welcome, all majors and all minors. We have students here from lot of different classes and areas of interest,” said Gacek.

Farrar said she was impressed by the Bobcats’ turnout and enthusiasm.

“I think it’s tremendous and anytime that I can engage with students on this issue really brings it back to why we took action as a state to pass a menstrual equity bill,” said Farrar.