A new change to the Canadian Labour Code that went into effect earlier this month stipulates that all federally regulated employers are now required to provide free menstrual products in all employee bathrooms.

The change was announced in May of 2023 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government and kicked in on December 15. Regulations posted to Canada’s Employment and Social Development website specify that ‘menstrual products must be in all toilet rooms, regardless of their marked genders.’

‘This means that every female-identified, male-identified and all gender toilet rooms will need to have menstrual products.

‘Unrestricted access to menstrual products better protects menstruating employees and makes sure that they feel safe to use the toilet room that best reflects their gender.’

Buildings required to stock menstrual products will include federal public service departments, crown corporations, banks, airports, and train yards.

The policy change is the result of an update to Canada’s Labour Code. It was finalized after several rounds of negotiations with activist groups United Way, Period Packs, and the Canadian Women’s Foundation.

‘Providing employees with access to menstrual products supports better health outcomes and workplace productivity while reducing the stigma often associated with menstruation,’ said the federal government in a statement about the new policy.

Rachel Ettinger, the founder of Here For Her, a campaign focused on health education in Canada, is the person who initially began a petition calling for menstrual products in bathrooms in 2020.

The proposal was eventually presented in the House of Commons by Ettinger’s MP. Ettinger said that the government should ‘look at menstrual products as a necessity item, just like toilet paper.’ ‘You can’t provide a truly inclusive space for your employees without providing menstrual products.’

Megan White, the executive director of Period Packs, said that providing free tampons and other menstrual products establishes a more equitable work environment.

‘It makes a huge difference knowing that they’re consistently there and you don’t have to carry one with you everywhere, like at the bottom of your purse or the bottom of your school bag or in your pocket,’ she said.

‘It’s not appropriate to ask employees to leave on their lunch break, during time that’s supposed to be rest, to go and find menstrual products.

‘When you get your period and there’s no way to manage it, it’s remarkably isolating. You essentially have to … use toilet paper or some other inappropriate mechanism for managing your period.’