Tampons and sanitary napkins are now accessible in men’s restrooms across the Canadian Parliament, following a directive from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
This policy extends to all federally-regulated establishments, such as airports and military bases, ensuring complimentary menstrual products in every restroom, irrespective of the gender indicated on its signage.
Former Canadian Conservative Sen. Linda Frum spotlighted this change by sharing an image of a basket filled with free pads and tampons in a men’s restroom designated for transgender Parliament members.
Frum remarked, “Back in the day, when only women menstruated, we had to pay for our own products. But now that men menstruate too, these products, as of this week, are mandated to be free in all men’s washrooms in all federal workplaces, including Parliament Hill.”
@HOCstaffer, an anonymous account from the House of Commons, further verified this update. However, the account questioned the practicality, stating,
“They’re also going to build dispensers for all the tampons which won’t be used since 1) men don’t menstruate and 2) they are just going to bring them home to their wives for free.”
The recent modification to the Canadian Labour Code, which was unveiled in May and enforced on Dec. 15, stipulates that,
“menstrual products must be in all toilet rooms regardless of their marked genders.”
The official guidelines on Canada’s Employment and Social Development website emphasize,
“Unrestricted access to menstrual products better protects menstruating employees and ensures they feel safe using the restroom aligning with their gender identity.”
The responsibility to finance these products and associated disposal containers falls on individual employers. Trudeau’s administration underscored the significance of this initiative, stating,
“Providing employees with access to menstrual products promotes better health outcomes and workplace productivity while diminishing the societal stigma linked to menstruation.”
| LIB
