Menstrual Equity Fund Pilot

Menstrual equity refers to equal and comprehensive access to menstrual products, as well as access to education regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights. Period poverty is a lack of access to menstrual products, education, hygiene facilities, waste management, or a combination of these.

Many people face barriers to accessing menstrual products or educational materials because of financial limitations and/or harmful social norms and attitudes surrounding menstruation.

Lack of access to menstrual products is closely linked to poverty and disproportionately impacts youth, single mothers, Indigenous peoples, Black and other racialized communities, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, people living with disabilities, gender diverse individuals, and those who live in remote areas.

A 2023 public opinion research survey conducted by Environics Research on behalf of Women and Gender Equality Canada found that: 

• One in six (17%) Canadians who menstruate have personally experienced period poverty; this rises to one in four (25%) if their household earns less than $40,000 a year.
• One in five (20%) who menstruate say they may not afford period products at some point in the next 12 months, and 7% say this is very likely. Six in ten of the first group agree that inflation has increased the likelihood of not affording period products.
• One in four Canadians agree periods are dirty and unclean, and about one in five agree menstruation should not be publicly discussed (22%) and menstrual products should be kept out of sight (22%).

Addressing barriers related to affordability and stigma

Budget 2022 committed to establishing a national pilot for the Menstrual Equity Fund (MEF) to address the barriers related to affordability and stigma that some Canadians face when accessing menstrual products.

Budget 2024 committed to continuing the work of the Menstrual Equity Fund pilot project, which helps food banks and other community organizations ensure women have the menstrual products they need.

Phase 1: Research and engagement

Throughout 2022–23, Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) undertook research and engagement activities to better understand the menstrual equity landscape in Canada. This included:

• An online survey to over 200 not-for-profit organizations, led by WAGE
• Five group discussions and several bilateral discussions with community organizations (shelters, food banks, community centres, and friendship centres), attended by the Parliamentary Secretary
• Environmental scans on the menstrual equity landscape across Canada, including the existing programming and initiatives in place to address period poverty, led by the Community-Based Research Centre
• Research on the intersectional prevalence and impacts of period poverty in Canada, as well as national and international promising practices (collected through interviews with menstrual equity advocates working within the menstrual equity space), led by Douglas College
• Engagement with WAGE’s Indigenous Women’s Circle, other federal departments, and the provinces and territories
• Public opinion research:
  • Phase 1: Omnibus survey on menstrual equity with a random sample of 1,000 Canadians, led by the Privy Council Office
  • Phase 2: Public opinion research to better understand how the Canadian public views menstruation, free access to period products, and period poverty, led by Environics Canada

What we heard from MEF engagement activities (2022–23)

Phase 2: Design of the pilot – A national approach

Information gathered through engagement activities informed the design of the MEF pilot, which centres on selecting one established national non-profit organization to:

• Test approaches to distribute free menstrual products to community organizations serving diverse low-income populations in various locations across Canada
• Partner with a small number of grassroots organizations across Canada that are already advancing menstrual equity to scale up education and awareness activities to inform Canadians about period poverty and reduce stigma around menstruation

Phase 3: Targeted call for proposals

WAGE launched a targeted call for proposals to solicit applications from five national not-for-profit organizations. National candidates that were invited to apply demonstrated qualities that will support a successful MEF pilot, including:

• A broad reach and distribution network
• The capacity and expertise to deliver an innovative pan-Canadian project in both official languages
• The demonstrated capacity to manage the procurement and distribution of products in diverse locations
• Existing partnerships with diverse community organizations and the private sector

Food Banks Canada, one of the country’s largest organizations to fight food insecurity, was selected to run the MEF pilot. Visit Food Banks Canada for implementation details.

Phase 4: The pilot in action

The MEF pilot began on September 1, 2023. Since then:

• Almost 400 pilot site locations have been selected with representation in all provinces and territories across Canada.
• Disposable product supplier, reusable product supplier, and distribution partnerships have been established.
• Six menstrual equity organizations across the country have been selected to scale up their education and awareness activities. Programming is currently underway.

Based on the early success of the pilot, WAGE is providing up to $5 million in supplemental funding for Food Banks Canda to enhance the impact of the Menstrual Equity Fund pilot project.

Funding will:

• Expand the distribution of disposable and reusable menstrual products to additional sites in Northern Communities.
• Distribute additional disposable products to pilot sites demonstrating the greatest need based on data collected during the early stages of implementation.
• Provide additional funds to menstrual education and awareness organizations to expand the scope of their work. 

The MEF pilot builds on ongoing work at the federal level to advance menstrual equity, including:

• An initiative led by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) to provide funding for free menstrual products in First Nations schools on reserves and in federal schools across Canada, and funding to Indigenous partners and the territorial and provincial governments for Northern schools.
• An Employment and Social Development Canada–led project to ensure the provision of free menstrual products in federally regulated workplaces.

In November 2023, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women released a report entitled Let’s Talk About it, Period: Achieving Menstrual Equity in Canada.

Read the government response tabled March 1, 2024, addressing issues such as access to products, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and clean water.