The Judiciary has taken steps to increase accessibility to menstrual products by installing dispensers in restrooms at two additional facilities. This expansion means that eight locations across Hawaii, where legal services are provided, now offer free menstrual hygiene products.
The new installations are at Hale Hilinaʻi in Honolulu, which hosts the Juvenile Client Services programs, including the Girls Court and Juvenile Drug Court, and the Ronald T. Y. Moon Judiciary Complex in Kapolei, where Oʻahu's Family Court is based.
Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “We believe that everyone deserves to navigate the legal system with dignity and without the added stress of period poverty. Providing free menstrual products is a fundamental step towards creating a more equitable and inclusive environment for all those who enter our courthouses.”
Angela Min, Judiciary Innovations Officer, remarked on the impact of these installations, saying, “It has been especially gratifying installing a dispenser at Hale Hilinaʻi and making these products available to youth in Girls Court and the Juvenile Drug Court. These dispensers are part of our ongoing effort to reduce barriers people may face when going to court. Our primary goal is to ensure that everyone who enters our facilities feels safe and respected. Providing free menstrual products is a simple, yet crucial, step in upholding that commitment.”
Support for this initiative comes from the Maʻi Movement, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending period poverty. Their efforts mean that Judiciary facilities in Hawaii's four main counties, including Ali`iolani Hale, Hoapili Hale in Wailuku and Lahaina District Courthouse on Maui, Keahuolū Courthouse in Kona, Hale Kaulike in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island, and Puʻuhonua Kaulike in Līhuʻe on Kauaʻi, are now equipped with menstrual product dispensers.