A menstrual product dispenser located in the public restroom of Hale Hilinaʻi.

HONOLULU – The Judiciary has added menstrual product dispensers to restrooms at two more of its facilities which means eight locations across the state where people seek legal services now offer free feminine hygiene products. The most recent dispenser installations are at Hale Hilinaʻi in Honolulu, which is home to Juvenile Client Services programs, including Girls Court and Juvenile Drug Court, and at the Ronald T. Y. Moon Judiciary Complex in Kapolei, which is home to Family Court on Oʻahu.

“We believe that everyone deserves to navigate the legal system with dignity and without the added stress of period poverty,” said Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald. “Providing free menstrual products is a fundamental step towards creating a more equitable and inclusive environment for all those who enter our courthouses.”

“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,” said Angela Min, Judiciary Innovations Officer. “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.”

With support from the Maʻi Movement, a non-profit whose mission is to end period poverty, there are now menstrual product dispensers at Judiciary facilities in the four main counties in Hawaiʻi including Ali`iolani Hale (Supreme Court Building) in Honolulu, Hoapili Hale in Wailuku and Lahaina District Courthouse on Maui, Keahuolū Courthouse in Kona and Hale Kaulike in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island, and Puʻuhonua Kaulike in Līhuʻe on Kauaʻi.