A new change to Canada's Labor Code that came into effect earlier this month states that all federally regulated employers are now required to provide free menstrual products in all employee bathrooms.
The change was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government in May 2023 and came into effect on December 15.
Regulations posted on Canadian Employment and Social Development website specify that “menstrual products must be provided in all restroom areas regardless of gender marked.”
'This means that every washroom for women, men and all genders will need menstrual products.
“Unrestricted access to menstrual products better protects menstruating employees and makes them feel safe to use the restroom that best suits their gender.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a number of crises under his belt, but his priority right now is to ensure that all government buildings offer free menstrual products in bathrooms for all genders
Such a menstrual products machine was installed at the Winnipeg airport earlier this year after the policy change was announced
Buildings required for the storage of menstrual products include federal government departments, Crown corporations, banks, airports and train yards.
The policy change is the result of an update to the Canadian Labor Code. It was finalized after several rounds of negotiations with activist groups United Way, Period Packs and the Canadian Women's Foundation.
“Giving employees access to menstrual products supports better health outcomes and productivity in the workplace, while reducing the stigma often associated with menstruation,” the federal government said in a statement about the new policy.
Rachel Ettinger, the founder of Here For Her, a health education campaign in Canada, is the person who initially started a petition in 2020 calling for menstrual products in bathrooms.
The proposal was eventually presented in the House of Commons by the MP for Ettinger.
Ettinger said the government should “consider menstrual products as a necessary item, just like toilet paper.”
“You can't provide a truly inclusive space for your employees without menstrual products.”
Megan White, the executive director of Period Packs, said providing free tampons and other menstrual products creates a more equitable work environment.
“It makes a huge difference knowing they're always there and you don't have to carry one everywhere, like at the bottom of your bag, at the bottom of your school bag or in your pocket,” she says.
“It's not appropriate to ask employees to leave during their lunch hour, during their break, to go find menstrual products.
'When you get your period and you can't deal with it, it is remarkably isolating. You actually have to…use toilet paper or some other inappropriate mechanism to control your period.”
Reports from Ottawa suggest that menstrual products have already made their way into men's restrooms since the policy came into effect on December 15.
The policy is largely the result of advocacy by several Canadian women's organizations
Ettinger also made the point that the menstrual products will be available in both the men's and women's rooms.
“It's not just women or those who identify as women who menstruate,” she said.
“Trans men, gender non-conforming, and two-spirit people also menstruate, and everyone who menstruates deserves to have their period with dignity.”
She added that she hopes what started in the public sector will spread to the private sector.
“As an activist,” she said, “she hopes this will be kind of a domino effect for other public sector companies, schools, and then of course for the private sector to jump on board and realize that this is an inclusivity issue.”
But not everyone is happy when Canada implements socially progressive policies that continue to publicly blur the lines of gender.
Former Canadian Conservative Senator Linda Frum posted on her X account as the changes took effect, humorously criticizing the policy.
'In the past, when only women had periods, we had to pay for our own products. But now that men are menstruating too, starting this week these products are required to be free in all men's restrooms in all federal workplaces, including Parliament Hill – where this photo was taken today,” she wrote above an image of found menstrual products. in a men's room on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, where the Canadian government is headquartered.
An X account called @HoCStaffer (House of Commons) also criticized the implementation of the new policy.
“Can confirm that your tax dollars now provide free tampons in the men's restrooms of the Parliament of Canada. For 'employees who menstruate', read a message with a screenshot of the new policy being announced to the House of Commons.
In a follow-up comment, the poster wrote, “They're also going to build dispensers for all the tampons that won't be used because 1) men don't menstruate and 2) they're just going to take them home. their wives free.”
Political columnist Brian Lilley noticeddays before the new policy would take effect, Canadians are currently facing an affordability crisis, which the Trudeau government appears to be ignoring in favor of bathroom equity measures.
Taxpayers will also fund the menstrual products now needed in men's restrooms.
Lilley added that announcing the policy on government-run websites was a continuation of what some conservatives have identified as the trend toward eliminating the word “women.”
Those for whom tampons and pads would be useful were repeatedly referred to as “menstruating workers.”
“We are eliminating language that identifies women as different from men… all because of an attempt to be politically correct when it comes to transgender issues,” he said.
“You can be respectful… without belittling women.”
“This is the focus of the Trudeau government” amid the country's ongoing affordability, housing and immigration crises.