Free menstrual products will soon be offered in washrooms at Greater Essex County District School Board schools.
Trustees with the public school board gave their unanimous consent to a motion to provide students with free menstrual products in all public schools by the end of the 2022 school year.
Student Trustee Anumita Jain introduced the motion with the support of Trustee Julia Burgess after consulting with students, administration, and parents over the past five months.
Jain said one in seven girls experiences menstrual poverty, the inability to pay for tampons and pads.
Girls who start unexpectedly menstruating have to rely on the goodwill of their friends or go to the office for menstrual products. Jain said that stigmatizes many girls, especially younger girls who are menstruating for the first time and teens who experience irregular periods.
She surveyed 1,000 students earlier this year, both students who menstruate and those who did not, and found overwhelming support for the initiative. A survey of parents was similarly supportive.
Schools are currently closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Jain anticipates some schools will start pilot projects in the fall when students return to class, and by June 2022, menstrual products will be available in all schools.
Trustees gave their unanimous consent once the rollout was extended over two school years.
