Accessing menstrual products will now be easier for those attending UNBC's Prince George campus.
The university announced this morning (March 12) a new pilot project, The Period Promise, which will see free menstrual product dispensers installed in high-traffic washrooms.
The post-secondary institute says the move was inspired by the United Way's Period Promise campaign.
Campus groups including the Northern British Columbia Graduate Students' Society (NBCGSS), the Northern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS), the Prince George Public Interest Research Group (PG PIRG) and the Northern Women's Centre came together to help a similar program launch at UNBC.
“We want to bring menstrual products to campus and make them available free-of-charge for students and other people who access the University who are menstruating to end period poverty and end the stigma they may be experiencing," Third-year Social Work student Emily Erickson said of the announcement.
"Period poverty is something menstruating people experience when they don’t have the proper tools, such as menstruation products, to manage their periods.
"We don’t want people to have to choose between coming to class or staying home because they don’t have proper products to make their day comfortable and sanitary. Everyone has the right to feel clean and comfortable.”
Work is now underway to help decide which specific washrooms dispensers will be placed.
Led by a group of committed students, UNBC is taking steps to end period poverty by installing menstrual product dispensers in high-traffic washrooms. https://t.co/JxUZYmOvhz#ThisIsUNBC pic.twitter.com/acBhCh9tH0
— University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) (@UNBC) March 12, 2021
“We provide toilet paper for free in public and private washrooms to address the basic human right of access to proper sanitation," adds NBCGSS spokesperson Abby Dooks.
"Women and people who menstruate make up 51 per cent of Canada’s population. This program will provide free menstrual products to meet this basic need for half the population.”
The program is set to be environmentally friendly as products that use little to no plastic will be chosen.
The Northern Women's Centre has made menstrual products available to those who have requested them. For many years, they've been able to provide pads and diapers as well as tampons.
“Education around the menstrual cycle and trying to remove the stigma around menstruation is so important," Northern Women's Centre Director Sarah Boyd adds.
UNBC Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Geoff Payne also thanked those who came together to organize the campaign, helping to end stigma around the topic.
"There should not be any barriers to accessing menstrual products and I am committed to working with our UNBC community to reduce those challenges,” he adds.
"Thank you to the students and other campus leaders who came together to make this pilot project a reality and for their continued efforts to end period poverty and eliminate menstrual stigma.”
