Feds to provide free menstrual products to on-reserve schools
Posted November 5, 2021 2:53 pm.
Last Updated November 5, 2021 6:07 pm.
The federal government says it will provide free menstrual products to all on-reserve schools.
Indigenous Services minister Patty Hajdu announced the plan on Twitter with no further details, except that it will go into effect “very soon.”
Period poverty should never be a barrier to going to school. End of story. Menstrual products are a basic need, and very soon they will be freely available in all on-reserve schools.
— Patty Hajdu (@PattyHajdu) November 5, 2021
The move comes after the Ford government faced questions and criticism about their collaboration with Shoppers Drug Mart to provide students in Ontario free menstrual products. The program does not include Indigenous schools as they are federally funded.
Related: Ontario, Shoppers Drug Mart partner to offer free menstrual products in schools
NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa highlighted the issue at Queen’s Park last month and demanded to know why Indigenous schools were being discriminated against.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce told CityNews on Wednesday that the provincial government reached out to Ottawa and asked them to align with Ontario’s plan.
In a written statement, Lecce said Friday that Ontario is “pleased that the federal government has agreed to match Ontario’s initiative to provide free menstrual products to their students.”
“We advocated for the federal government to adopt this program, which will now extend to all federally-run schools across the country,” he said.
Related: Community stepping up after Ontario period product program leaves out Indigenous schools
There is no word on whether the federal government’s program extends to off-reserve Indigenous schools.
CityNews has reached out to Indigenous Affairs and is awaiting a response.
With files from The Canadian Press
