Question Period Note: Menstrual Equity Fund

How is the Government addressing period poverty through its Menstrual Equity Fund?

•Budget 2022 committed to establishing a national pilot for the Menstrual Equity Fund to help address the barriers related to menstrual equity and period poverty.
•This will make menstrual products, education and awareness more accessible to Canadians, particularly women, youth, Indigenous peoples, Black and other racialized communities, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, people living with disabilities, gender diverse individuals , and those living in remote areas.
•The pilot was designed through extensive research and engagement, including a review of initiatives in other jurisdictions and gaining on-the-ground knowledge from over 135 grassroots organizations.
•In September 2023, I announced that Food Banks Canada will run the national Menstrual Equity Fund pilot, which is now well underway.

Investment
•A $17.9M funding agreement with Food Banks Canada was signed on September 1, 2023.

Results
•The results of information gathering and stakeholder engagement have informed the design and implementation plan for the pilot. The results of the pilot will inform the way ahead on menstrual equity. It will also position WAGE to undertake awareness activities to address stigma, shame, and the lack of information related to menstruation and menstrual cycles.

BACKGROUND:
•Women and Gender Equality Canada has:
o worked with key federal partners, engaged with the provinces and territories and reached out to community organizations and experts across Canada to help develop the Menstrual Equity Fund pilot to ensure that it will be as useful as possible in determining the way ahead;
o supported research to inform the pilot, including an environmental scan to identify existing projects and organizations already conducting work in the menstrual equity sector, and a literature review of the social impacts of period poverty.
•The Menstrual Equity Fund pilot is the latest step the federal government is taking to support menstrual equity in Canada:
o On November 5, 2021, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services (ISC), released a statement that all students in First Nations operated schools on reserve and in federal schools across Canada will have access to free menstrual products. As well, funding to Indigenous partners and territorial governments in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Inuit Nunangat started in March 2022. The initiative is currently underway and ISC has provided $11.38M in funding to support access to menstrual products for First Nations and Inuit students across Canada on reserve and in the North through the Elementary and Secondary Education Program. Funding recipients have the flexibility to determine how to get and distribute menstrual products to their students as they know best what is needed and where.
o On May 10, 2023, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Labour, announced changes to the Canada Labour Code to ensure access to menstrual products in all federally regulated workplaces. These changes deliver on the 2021 mandate letter commitment, and were developed following extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and the Canadian public; they come into effect on December 15, 2023.
•These actions support work being done at the provincial level. British Columbia became the first province to provide free menstrual products in schools in 2019. Since then, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Manitoba have also begun initiatives to provide free menstrual products in schools.
•FEWO Report on Menstrual Equity:
o On November 7, 2023, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO) tabled its eighth report in the House of Commons entitled: “Let’s Talk about It, Period: Achieving Menstrual Equity in Canada”.

Research:
•Menstrual equity is the unhindered access to menstrual management products, including access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, access to educational materials on the topic, and the ability to discuss issues pertaining to menstruation without any fear or shame.
•Period poverty, or menstrual inequity, is the inability to access menstrual products due to financial limitations or other barriers. Marginalized populations such as refugees, those who are homeless, sex workers, trans and non-binary people, Indigenous communities, and people living in rural, remote, and Northern communities face additional barriers to accessing menstrual supplies and are at greater risk of period poverty.
•Canadians experiencing period poverty, especially those who are homeless, can adopt poor menstruation management practices such as using menstrual products for too long. These practices can have detrimental impacts on the overall mental and physical health of people who menstruate, including sexual and reproductive health.
•A 2022 Plan International Canada survey found that:
o One in five (21%) girls, women, and people who menstruate in Canada struggle to afford menstrual products for themselves or their dependents.
o More than four in five respondents who menstruate (83%) believe period products are too expensive.
o One in five (22%) ration or use products longer than they should because they can’t afford more. This rises to 33% among those with a household income of under $50,000 and 48% for Indigenous respondents.
o A barrier between those who identify as women/girls and men/boys persists. A majority of those who menstruate continue to feel compelled to hide menstrual products as they go to the washroom (74%) and not let male colleagues/peers know when they have their period (66%).

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