Project Aunt Flow

The following is an overview of SGA’s new project involving Aunt Flow, a menstrual product company, and new initiatives being taken to support greater access to period products on campus.

Maya Illanes | millanes@butler.edu 

A new project started at Butler University involves the company Aunt Flow and bringing their products to Butler. With the project led by Katie Stanley, Chief of Staff for Butler SGA, she is looking to work with Aunt Flow to fight for menstrual equity for the general public. 

The implementation of Aunt Flow would grant free access to high-quality period products including tampons and pads. Aunt Flow’s overall mission is to create better quality period products for free that are environmentally friendly and highly absorbent. Currently, Butler offers free period products however, the products currently offered are notorious for having low quality, uncomfortable, non-biodegradable, and nonabsorbent features. 

On the condition Aunt Flow is successfully launched and proven beneficial, its products will remain complementary and available in all Butler campus women's and gender-inclusive bathrooms. Stanley has a vision of piloting this project in Atherton Union in the Riley Room women’s restroom. This bathroom experiences the most traffic and also serves access to the Bon Appetite employees. 

Aunt Flow dispensers are designed to be aesthetically pleasing for placement in bathrooms. Additionally, the company is aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act and develops its products with this in mind. The dispensers would be installed at a height that would be wheelchair accessible, and they would also have braille for visually impaired readers and buttons for accessibility purposes. 

Stanley is working with John Lacheta, Butler’s on-campus facilities manager, to begin the setup of this project. Currently, the period products available for free on campus are rarely used due to their poor quality. This project would work towards bettering something that already exists. Stanley says that the project involving, “fighting for period equity and making sure everyone has higher quality and sustainable products for free,” is an important aspect of Butler’s community and will hold incredible value on campus. 

In addition to partnering with Aunt Flow for Butler’s bathrooms, Stanley also wishes to have their period products available in the diversity center on campus. Her vision is to have period products available for free in large quantities, such as boxes of tampons or pads, and also available individually at the diversity center for anyone in need.  

Interested in Aunt Flow and the other products they offer? Visit their website for more information, linked here to learn more.

For questions and concerns regarding the Aunt Flow project or SGA, please contact Katie Stanley.