Free menstrual products will now be provided for students in BC.
Education Minister Rob Fleming issued a ministerial order today that all BC public schools will be required to provide free menstrual products for students in school washrooms by the end of 2019.
“Students should never have to miss school, extracurricular, sports or social activities because they can’t afford or don’t have access to menstrual products,” said Fleming.
The ministerial order comes with$300,000 in provincial startup funding. Over the coming months, the ministry will continue to work with school districts, community and education partners to look at the needs of each district, identify gaps and ensure they have the funding needed to meet this new requirement.
The Province is also providing a one-time grant of $95,000 to support the United Way Period Promise Research Project.
Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction stated “the cost and availability of menstrual products is a real concern for those who are poor and often face the choice of purchasing those products or buying other essentials, like food.”
This builds on the work government is doing to reduce poverty in British Columbia.