The Gender and Sexuality Resource Center is looking for unopened pads and tampons as donations for Womanist Wednesdays. 

The goal is to end period poverty around the world. Ending period poverty should replace paying for sanitary products to having these products free for all women. The GSRC is hoping to supply free tampons and pads in all bathrooms at NIU. 

64% of women can not afford menstrual hygiene products and are using things like toilet paper and cloth while on their periods according to the Health Menstruation website.

The GSRC hosts sessions every Wednesday on different topics pertaining to women in locations around campus. This tradition has been going strong for three years. 

Womanist Wednesdays are sessions that aim to focus toward current events from gender identity to intersectionality. Intersectionality is recognizing feminism in groups such as sexual orientation, nationality, race and gender. 

Womanism was created by Alice Walker in 1982 who wrote “The Color Purple.” Womanism is the experience and history of women of color who were left out of the feminism movement, according to the science leadership Alice Walker (womanism) website.

“It is important for women to come together and acknowledge every identify with having these conversions that may be difficult and important to express,” Demetra Edwards, sophomore counseling major, said.

Last month, there was a session on minding your business that included a talk on why people should not ask couples when they are having children.

“It’s important to address some of the infertility issues that women might have, Edwards said. “People make the assumption that you are able to have a baby when they need to be mindful and considerate on the things they ask us.”

Some factors that contribute to the decision to not have a baby can be infertility to financial stability.

Students should show up to Womanist Wednesdays to hear and learn from important topics that are being discussed.