(Dreamstime)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Menstrual Hygiene Day

More schools to offer free feminine hygiene products thanks to provincial grant

May 28, 2021 | 3:29 PM

The United Way is launching a two-year pilot project to ensure women and girls in Alberta have access to feminine hygiene products.

The Government of Alberta is giving $260,000 to the Period Promise campaign, which will ensure that more than 100 schools are stocked up with menstrual products and have dispensers for them.

Leela Sharon Aheer, Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism, and Status of Women, says this will happen in fall 2021.

“Education and access are the two common barriers to good menstrual hygiene. 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. More importantly, they are at risk of facing long-term health complications if products are improperly used.”

A study from Plan International Canada found that, among women aged 18-25, 83 per cent felt their periods have held them back from fully participating in an activity. 70 per cent have missed school, work, or social events because of their period.

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The province adds that the rising costs of period products present a significant barrier to access, while “period stigma” can lead to shame, anxiety, or poor decisions that impact their health.

Rob Yager, President and CEO of the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, says he knows that these factors can present great difficulty to women and girls everywhere.

“Providing equitable access to menstrual products with dignity and respect will ensure no student is left behind simply because they are menstruating. Together, building on the great work started in central Alberta, we can tackle period poverty and support students in our province.”

To commemorate the declaration of Menstrual Hygiene Day, Aheer is encouraging Albertans to donate unused period products to their local food banks or women’s shelters.