Oshawa offering free menstrual products to end ‘period poverty’

Oshawa is offering free menstrual products in city recreation facilities to honour International Women’s Day and to end “period poverty” in the community.

One in every three people who use menstrual products struggle to pay for this basic need, the City declared in a statement. “The unequal financial burden is just one way that period poverty perpetuates gender inequity. Inadequate access to menstrual products also negatively affects the social, economic, psychological and medical well-being of people who menstruate and can create barriers to the full participation of people who menstruate in schools, the workplace, and in the community.”

To promote and embrace equity, Oshawa is dispensing free menstrual products in at least one women’s washroom at the following City recreation facilities:

• Arts Resource Centre
• Camp Samac Pool
• Children’s Arena
• Civic Recreation Complex
• Civic Stadium
• Delpark Homes Centre
• Donevan Recreation Complex
• Harman Park Arena
• Northview Community Centre
• South Oshawa Community Centre

Additionally, free menstrual products are available for people of all genders in all gender-neutral accessible washrooms, which are located at Civic Recreation Complex, Delpark Homes Centre and Harman Park Arena.

International Women’s Day, with this year’s theme of Embrace Equity, is a day to celebrate and reflect on achievements of women, Two-spirit and gender-expansive people. It is also a call to action to combat all forms of gender-based discrimination (including transphobia) and advance gender equity in all areas of life.