Ontario students to get free menstrual products as part of deal with Shoppers Drug Mart
CBC
The Ontario government says it has partnered with Shoppers Drug Mart to provide free menstrual products for the students across the province beginning this fall.
"The partnership will benefit students who need menstrual products and are unable to afford or access them, resulting in an inability to participate in school and other activities," the provincial government said in a news release.
The agreement will see Shoppers Drug Mart provide six million essential hygiene items for free to school boards in Ontario for at least the next three years. For now, only period pads will be available, though the plan is to eventually include tampons as well.
Boards will have discretion about where the products are distributed based on local needs, the province said.
"Through the strong advocacy of young leaders in our schools, it has become extremely clear that menstrual products are a necessity, not a luxury," said Education Minister Stephen Lecce in the release.
"This agreement will help remove barriers for women and girls by allowing them to access products at school, free of charge."
In 2019, B.C. mandated free menstrual products in all public school bathrooms, at the time saying it was the first province to do so. Since, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. have also made them available to students.
This story is a collaboration between the Investigative Journalism Foundation and CBC Saskatchewan.
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