Alberta’s government is investing $260,000 in Period Promise to improve menstrual care and provide period products to youth in need.
Many people face challenges affording and accessing the products they need to manage their periods, which can result in them missing school, work and social activities. Ensuring youth across our province continue to feel comfortable and supported to participate in sports and recreation activities is important to Alberta’s government. Period poverty is compounded by the stigma that still exists when talking about periods with friends, coworkers and even family members.
Period Promise—a United Way initiative—in partnership with Alberta’s government, provides free menstrual products in 50 schools across the province. Funding from the government will go towards installing period product dispensers in bathrooms and toward an educational campaign. The campaign’s goal is to destigmatize women’s health issues, including periods, in schools, workplaces and community organizations.
Resources for workplaces, including materials to run period product donation drives and to sign on as a designated Period Promise employer, are available on local United Way websites.
- According to Plan International Canada, among Canadians:
- 34 percent of women and girls have had to regularly or occasionally sacrifice something else within their budget to afford menstrual products.
- 63 percent of women and girls regularly have or occasionally missed an activity because of their period and concerns about being unable to access menstrual hygiene products or proper facilities.
- A 2018 survey conducted found that one in seven Canadian girls have missed school because they could not access menstrual products.
- Only 66 percent of parents say they are comfortable talking about girls’ and women’s bodies, health and wellness.
