Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has introduced a new policy mandating the provision of free women’s hygiene products, such as tampons and pads, in all federal buildings, including airports, military bases, and the Canadian Parliament. However, the new policy is receiving public backlash for stipulating that these menstrual products must be available not just in women’s restrooms, but in men’s restrooms as well.
This new initiative recently gained widespread attention when Canadian Senator Linda Frum posted a photo on social media showcasing a container filled with menstrual products inside the men’s restroom at the Canadian Parliament. The policy, which came into effect on December 15, is part of a broader change in the Canadian Labour Code, requiring menstrual products to be available in all restrooms, irrespective of their designated gender.
According to Canada’s Employment and Social Development, the regulations state, “menstrual products must be in all toilet rooms, regardless of their marked genders. This means that every female-identified, male-identified and all gender toilet rooms will need to have menstrual products. Unrestricted access to menstrual products better protects menstruating employees and makes sure that they feel safe to use the toilet room that best reflects their gender.”
The push for this inclusive policy started in 2020 when the founder of Here for Her, a health education campaign, petitioned for menstrual products to be regarded as a necessity, similar to toilet paper. Rachel Ettinger, the founder, emphasized the alleged importance of providing menstrual products for creating truly “inclusive spaces” for employees.
“You can’t provide a truly inclusive space for your employees without providing menstrual products,” Ettinger said in an interview with CBC.
