Collaboration to provide female products in schools

A new program is being launched to ensure students have access to menstrual products in school.

Many people around the world, including Alberta, experience “period poverty,” meaning they are unable to afford or access menstrual products, a problem increased by the COVID-19 pandemic. One in seven Canadian girls reported missing school because they could not access menstrual products, according to a 2018 survey.

In response to this, a partnership between the Alberta government and United Way across the province is launching Period Promise, a two-year pilot program to provide menstrual products and dispensers in schools. More than 100 schools will benefit from the campaign, which is launching this fall.

Education and access are the two common barriers to menstrual hygiene, said Leela Sharon Aheer, Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women, and Chestermere-Strathmore MLA. 

“So many women, girls and gender-diverse people are still faced with misinformation, stigma and lack of access to period products, which means they are missing work, school and participating in our communities,” she said. “More importantly, they are at risk of facing long-term health complications if products are improperly used.”

To fight barriers to menstrual hygiene, Albertans need to push for change, talk openly about health and normalize periods for all, said Aheer. As part of the campaign, residents are being encouraged to donate period products to local food banks and women’s shelters, and can share a photo of their donation on social media using the hashtag #PeriodPromise.