A lot of the world's iconic cultural trends start in New York City, from music to food and fashion. However, this week the city may have paved the path for a new trend in personal hygiene by passing legislature, the first of its kind in America, that will ensure sanitary facilities and tampons are available in public places like schools, shelters and prisons.
Will the rest of the world catch on to this latest progression from the Big Apple?
It follows recent moves that have been pushing the issue in the state and after a bill to abolish the "tampon tax" was passed by the State Legislature. The vote to make sanitary facilities available to the public was passed unanimously and covers free menstrual hygiene products for anyone who needs them in public domains.
Dispensers are to be installed in 800 schools at a cost of around US$3.7 million and the program should reach about 300,000 students. Women and girls in shelters will also receive yearly aid and prison inmates, who earn about US75c a day in their facilities, will have the cap removed from their tampon quota.
