05/25/2026
WHEREAS menstruation is a normal biological function experienced by half of the population, and access to menstrual products is as necessary as access to soap, water and toilet paper;
WHEREAS surveys have shown that 34% of people who menstruate have had difficulty affording menstrual products;
WHEREAS those who cannot afford menstrual products may turn to unsafe alternatives like using products for too long or not using them as directed, and others may skip school, work or social events;
WHEREAS this is a health and social equity issue that has the greatest impact on low income, homeless, Indigenous and young people who menstruate;
WHEREAS no one who menstruates should face negative social or economic repercussions because of stigma, shame or cost in accessing menstrual products;
THEREFORE WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, PETITION THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO AS FOLLOWS:
To require employers to provide free menstrual hygiene management products in all workplace washrooms to address the health and social inequality caused by stigma, shame, or cost in accessing menstrual hygiene management; and
To declare May 28 of each year as Menstrual Health Day in Ontario to raise awareness of the challenges posed by a lack of access to menstrual hygiene management and to highlight the importance of finding sustainable and evidence-based solutions to these challenges.
