There is availability of tampons and sanitary napkins in men’s bathrooms at the Canadian Parliament under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new policy that requires every federally-regulated employer, including airports and military bases, to provide free menstrual products in every washroom regardless of gender noted on the door.
News of the policy change broke recently after former Canadian Conservative Sen. Linda Frum posted a photo of a basket providing free pads and tampons inside a men’s bathroom for transgender members of Parliament on X.
Frum wrote: “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 — where this photo was taken today.”
The report has been confirmed by an anonymous account called @HOCstaffer (for the House of Commons).
The anonymous account said: “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.”
Under the amendment to the Canadian Labour Code, which was originally announced in May but finally went into effect on December. 15, “menstrual products must be in all toilet rooms regardless of their marked genders.
The regulation posted on Employment and Social Development website read: “This means that every female-identified, male-identified and all gender toilet rooms will need to have menstrual products.
“Unrestricted access to menstrual products better protects menstruating employees and makes sure that they feel safe to use the toilet room that best reflects their gender.”
It is left to each employer to source the funding necessary to purchase these products and disposal containers.
In a statement, Trudeau’s government said “providing employees with access to menstrual products supports better health outcomes and workplace productivity while reducing the stigma often associated with menstruation.”
