Standing Committee on the Status of Women

Comité permanent de la condition féminine

For immediate release

Ottawa, November 07, 2023 -

The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (the committee) today tabled its report entitled Let’s Talk About It, Period: Achieving Menstrual Equity in Canada.

Women, girls, and other individuals who menstruate in Canada may not be able or may struggle to access menstrual products, menstrual health education, and adequate sanitary facilities. Some studies show that approximately 25 % of women, girls and other individuals who menstruate in Canada report having had to forego buying menstrual products to pay for other necessities or ration their use of menstrual products. These individuals experience what is called menstrual poverty.

This report highlights various measures that could help achieve menstrual equity in Canada, including facilitating access to menstrual products (for example by providing free or low-cost products to individuals in need), educating Canadians on menstrual health to improve literacy and eliminate stigma around menstruation, and supporting organizations working to achieve menstrual equity.

The Committee put forward 11 recommendations directed to the Government of Canada to help achieve menstrual equity. The Committee calls on the Government of Canada to implement them rapidly.

The report can be consulted on the committee’s web page on the Parliament of Canada website.