Menstrual Equity in the Peace Corps Act
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of the Menstrual Equity in the Peace Corps Act. On March 1st, we recognized the 59th Anniversary of the Peace Corps. Established by Executive Order 10924, issued by President John F. Kennedy, and authorized by Congress, Peace Corps has been an enduring symbol of peace and friendship between the U.S. and our global community. Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) sacrifice over two years of their time, working side by side with local leaders to combat some of the most pressing challenges of our generation. This is a transformational time for many of our volunteers--and I am particularly proud of the many constituents from my congressional district of New York's Sixth who have served abroad in Peace Corps. At the same time, however, I have heard from many PCVs around the world who struggle to access and afford menstrual hygiene products. These current PCVs and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) note how menstrual products are not readily available, or these items are far more expensive than they would be in the U.S. So many of these volunteers are also placed in very remote locations. In fact, for one RPCV who served in an indigenous island, she had to travel by a combination of cargo ship rides (10+ hours), plane ride(s), small boat ride, several hour hikes, and hitchhiking to get to and from the capital, where the Peace Corps Country Office is located. Ultimately, for some PCVs, not only is there a financial hurdle, but a volunteer may have to travel extremely far distances to access menstrual hygiene products. There is also vast inconsistency in the provision of these products for the volunteers. Some Peace Corps Medical Officers provide these products for free to their respective PCVs, while others are left to purchase the products out of pocket. Other country offices provide an additional stipend to volunteers to purchase these products, while other volunteers wait to receive these items in their care packages from loved ones back home. I also heard a U.S. Peace Corps staff equate these products to mere razors and shaving cream--ultimately disregarding the medical necessity for these products. To address this inequity, I am introducing a bill--the Menstrual Equity in the Peace Corps Act--to require the enactment of a comprehensive policy that makes available free menstrual hygiene products to PCVs, or increase stipends to allow for these expenses. Menstrual hygiene products are not luxury or toiletry items. These are medical necessities; a health right and human right. And this is a simple matter of equality. Madam Speaker, today, PCVs serve in over 60 countries around the world. Nearly 65 percent of PCVs are women, and more than 90 percent of these volunteers are under the age of 50. PCVs are already making both financial and personal sacrifices in order to represent the United States abroad, and they are a critical part of U.S. development power. Peace Corps notes that `nothing is more important than the health, safety, and security of every single volunteer.' Indeed, for the health, safety, and security of these volunteers, I urge my colleagues to support the Menstrual Equity in the Peace Corps Act. I thank my colleagues who have already joined me in introducing this critical legislation, and I urge the House of Representatives to join me in passing this critical legislation.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source