Students in Ontario to Receive Free Menstrual Products!

A big win for menstruators in Ontario this month! Ontario's government has announced that in its efforts to eliminate period poverty, they have partnered up with Shoppers Drug Mart in order to provide free period products to students in Ontario schools starting late Fall 2021 (Ontario Launches Free Menstrual Products in Schools).

Through the partnership with Shoppers Drugmart, Ontario's Provincial Government has secured six million hygiene products that will be distributed based on the needs of each district school board annually for the next three years (Ontario Launches Free Menstrual Products in Schools). However, only menstrual pads will be available for now, with the plan to integrate tampons later in time (Ontario Students to Get Free Menstrual Products as Part of Deal with Shoppers Drug Mart).

While this may be a huge win for human rights in Ontario--Danielle Kaftarian--the production manager at Period Purse has some criticisms. She agrees that this is a great first step to eliminating period poverty, but noted six million pads equates to 10 pads per student (Ontario Students to Get Free Menstrual Products as Part of Deal with Shoppers Drug Mart). Kaftarian comments, “Those that menstruate know you can go through that in one cycle” (Ontario Students to Get Free Menstrual Products as Part of Deal with Shoppers Drug Mart). I also see myself agreeing with Kaftarian, and believe that providing only pads is beneficial for some but eliminates the possibility of choosing what products a menstruator feels most comfortable using.

Moreover, the statement that Stephen Lecce the Minister of Education put out only seems to focus on girls: “This agreement will help remove barriers for women and girls by allowing them to access products at school, free of charge. It is another important way that we are helping to build more inclusive schools that empower all girls to have the confidence to succeed” (Ontario Launches Free Menstrual Products in Schools). This statement leaves out menstruators who do not identify as women, and largely implies that menstrual products would only be available in women-gendered washrooms. While the Government of Ontario's plan is a big step in ensuring period equity, it fails to account for a variety of factors such as: who is in need, what quantity is needed, and the importance of product preference.

While the government’s plan to distribute free period products across Ontario ultimately could use some modifications, the plan is still in its infancy, and it is still a huge win for menstruators in Ontario. Students, school boards, and organizations across Ontario that have fought for years to eradicate period poverty can be proud of the progress. Alas, Rome was not built in a day, and it’s important to celebrate the small victories that make the world just a little bit better for people.

References

“Ontario Launches Free Menstrual Products in Schools.” Ontario Newsroom, Queen's Printer for Ontario, 8 Oct. 2021, https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000941/ontario-launches-free-menstrual-products-in-schools.

“Ontario Students to Get Free Menstrual Products as Part of Deal with Shoppers Drug Mart | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 8 Oct. 2021, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-free-menstrual-products-shoppers-period-poverty-1.6204580.