We, the students of British Columbia, call on school boards across BC to take action to ensure equitable access to menstrual products for all students. Our government must address the detrimental effects that a lack of access to menstrual products in schools has upon both the education, mental and physical well-being of students. 

In 2019, the B.C. government mandated that all educational facilities must provide free access to menstrual products for all students. Yet today, countless students continue to lack the basic access to period products. The Flow Coalition conducted a survey encompassing hundreds of students across 50+ schools in metropolitan Vancouver. Critically, 74% of respondents declared that period products are never or only sometimes freely accessible at their schools, and 63% expressed that they would benefit from greater access. One respondent recalled, “One time, I had to search for tampons in three different washrooms until I found some…This is not the first time at my school where I had a lot of trouble finding menstrual products.”

Menstrual products are a basic health necessity. Moreover, they are a prerequisite to creating a comfortable and inclusive environment where all students can thrive equally.

Inadequate access to menstrual products deeply affects the mental health of students through social stigma, taboo, and shame. Plan Canada explains that 78% of adolescent women have felt shame in their periods, and 51% have felt the need to hide their period at home, suggesting that even when people have access to products, the stigmatization of periods obstructs proper and equitable access. Our survey results support this claim, with 50.1% of students reporting that they frequently or always experience stigma when asking for period products. This means current solutions, such as the school office providing period products, are not viable when nearly half of the students are ashamed to ask. Indeed, one student noted, “As a girl, I personally feel 'embarrassed' to hold the product out in public. Having menstruation at school makes me feel less confident than normal days because I sometimes feel like I am ‘more dirty’”. This stigmatization has also caused the misuse of products. One respondent described the mockery and misuse of tampons, recalling: “Boys keep taking [wet tampons] out and throwing them at the ceiling. It is unfortunate to see these products be wasted and abused when some students may struggle to afford them.” 

The impacts of period poverty and stigmatization not only impact students’ personal lives, but also the entire educational environment. Period poverty can affect students’ attendance at school. Without access to reliable menstrual products, the fear of leaks and discomfort may lead to skipped classes or entire school days. In Canada, “one in seven students will miss school each year because they don’t have access to period products” (Always 2022). This results in falling behind in studies and missing out on learning opportunities, further exacerbating the struggles for students (Taylor 2023). Indeed, one respondent said, “[When] I got my period… it was either for me to go home to find a pad, which can potentially ruin me academically, or wait until the end of the day. I was in middle school during this time so I didn’t know what to do and there was a huge stigma around talking about your menstrual cycle. I still felt scared to talk to my teachers about it and ask for products.” Periods are not a choice, and access to products should not be either.

We acknowledge the current Ministry of Education policy that provides free menstrual products in schools. However, we duly recognize the voice of students that states that this policy isn’t enough. Recognizing the need for change in our system, we, the citizens of Vancouver, call on the Ministry of Education and all Boards of Education to enact policies which:

• Ensure that a continuous supply of free menstrual products are easily found and accessible in all school washrooms, especially elementary schools;
• Secure stable budgeting for menstrual products while opening budgeting to public scrutiny and review;
  Integrate comprehensive destigmatizing education about menstruation and menstrual well-being, including education targeted at non-menstruating individuals;
• Establish a regular mechanism for feedback and review on menstrual accessibility through regular consultation with stakeholders including students, parents, and school administrators; 
• Ensure accountability and enforcement through a publicly available authority to parents and students.