Free. Period.
Donor support provides free menstrual products in Calgary Public Library restrooms.
Providing free menstrual products in Library restrooms |
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Have you heard the term “period poverty?” It refers to the inability to access menstrual products, which impacts the health and dignity of people who menstruate, especially vulnerable people and youth. Not having access to period products can impact Calgarians in the classroom, the workplace, and everyday life.
The Free. Period. initiative provides free pads and tampons to anyone who needs them by making them available in Library restrooms—with no stigma or judgment.
In close proximity to schools, workplaces, community centres and shelters, Library locations are accessible across the city and welcoming to all.
The need
- Canadian menstruators spend up to $6,000 in their lifetime on menstrual hygiene products.
- One in four Canadian women who menstruate have been forced to decide between purchasing menstrual products or essentials, like food or rent, within the last year.
- Almost 90% of Canadian women aged 18 to 24 feel menstrual products are too expensive.
A donation of $31.50 fills a dispenser with one day’s worth of products. Thanks to donor support, this program is now available at all Library locations in Calgary (excluding Rocky Ridge Library). Annually, more than 80,000 units of product are taken from dispensers in Library restrooms.
