{"id":7924,"date":"2025-04-21T10:13:33","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T16:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/?p=7924"},"modified":"2025-04-21T10:20:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T16:20:50","slug":"ifso-fights-period-poverty-and-promotes-equity-on-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/21\/ifso-fights-period-poverty-and-promotes-equity-on-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"IFSO fights period poverty and promotes equity on campus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"724\" src=\"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Untitled-3-1024x724.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7928\" style=\"width:638px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Untitled-3-1024x724.png 1024w, https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Untitled-3-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Untitled-3-768x543.png 768w, https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Untitled-3-1536x1086.png 1536w, https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Untitled-3-2048x1448.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kylie Torres and Cindy Ruiz present at the Fizz Pop Feminist event on Brownsville Library Courtyard. <br>Valeria Tokun Haga\/Vaquero Radio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ASSIGNMENT-VALERIA_mixdown.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">The mission of the Intersectional Feminist Student Organization (IFSO) is to fight against period poverty by distributing free menstrual products across campus, aiming to restore dignity and improve access to basic necessities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Founder of IFSO Kylie Torres said the organization has been around since the legacy institution University of Texas Pan American. Torres added providing free menstrual products is a good deed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cIt\u2019s imperative that we provide these products,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople shouldn\u2019t have to lose their dignity just because they can\u2019t afford hygiene products.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to menstrual products, IFSO also distributes free condoms and emergency contraception, such as Plan B, as part of its broader commitment to reproductive justice and sexual health.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The work is deeply personal for her, rooted in lived experience. Torres has faced serious reproductive health challenges, including abnormal menses and an ovarian tumor, which required multiple surgeries.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cI\u2019ve bled for six months, I\u2019ve bled for 12 months, I\u2019ve bled heavily through a tampon and a pad, I\u2019ve had multiple gynecological surgeries,\u201d she said. \u201cEven while distributing, I was bleeding out. And it gave me a passion because I have a passion for reproductive justice.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Her motivation became the fuel for IFSO\u2019s End Period Poverty campaign, which focuses on more than just products\u2014it also highlights the lack of facilities and education related to menstrual health.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cPeriod poverty is the inaccessibility to hygiene facilities, products and education,\u201d Torres said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, the journey hasn\u2019t been easy. Torres noted the emotional highs and lows of her advocacy work, including online engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of good ones, like 500 comments,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I\u2019ve also had that hate comment the other day that said I made it my entire personality and I embraced it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite criticism, Torres and her co-founder Ximena Ruiz continue to grow IFSO\u2019s presence. Weekly meetings are held Thursdays in Edinburg and Brownsville.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is Valeria Tokun Haga for Vaquero Radio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The mission of the Intersectional Feminist Student Organization (IFSO) is to fight against period poverty by distributing free<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":7925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[13,722],"tags":[730,27,726,26],"class_list":["post-7924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brownsville","category-news","tag-730","tag-brownsville","tag-spring-2025","tag-utrgv"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>IFSO fights period poverty and promotes equity on campus - The Valley&#039;s Student Station<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The mission of the Intersectional Feminist Student Organization (IFSO) is to fight against period poverty.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/21\/ifso-fights-period-poverty-and-promotes-equity-on-campus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"IFSO fights period poverty and promotes equity on campus - 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