The City of Delta will soon be providing free menstrual products at more than a dozen civic facilities.
On Monday (Oct. 23), council unanimously endorsed a one-year trial of the United Way’s Period Promise campaign, which aims to increase access to free menstrual products “so that everyone who menstruates can go to work, get to school, access services and stay connected to their community,” according to the campaign’s website.
Council’s decision follows a recommendation by the Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Committee, which received a presentation from United Way Period Promise spokesperson (and Ladner resident) Angelene Prakash on Sept. 7.
Research conducted by United Way found that half of people who menstruate in B.C. have struggled to buy products at some point, and more than a quarter have gone through a period without any menstrual products at all.
Further, not having access to menstrual products is isolating for many people, with 18 per cent of survey respondents saying they had missed school, 22 per cent had missed work, 29 per cent had missed community events and 27 per cent had missed social events.
“Not having the product you need when you need it can make staying connected to community difficult,” according to the United Way’s Period Promise campaign website. “That means that single parents are choosing between buying tampons or food for their families, and trans and non-binary kids are scrambling in washrooms, putting together makeshift pads that don’t suit their needs.
“Too many families skip out on social events, like going to the library or the pool, because it’s easier to stay home than risk bleeding in public. People are missing school or leaving work, and too many people face the additional challenges of homelessness, living with a disability, or just the stigma around having a period at all. It isn’t easy to ask for help, or know where to find it.”
SEE ALSO: 1-in-4 people say they experience period poverty in Canada: poll
To help address the need, United Way of the Lower Mainland launched the Period Promise campaign in 2017, collecting more than 30,000 menstrual products for community agencies in the region. Donations have increased year over year, and to date the organization has distributed more than 1.5 million pads, cups, tampons and pairs of underwear.
Coun. Jennifer Johal, who serves as vice-chair of the Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Committee, told Monday’s meeting that period poverty was a concept she was unfamiliar with prior to Prakash’s presentation.
“With the cost of living on the rise, purchasing and accessing menstrual products can be a challenge for many. Having access to menstrual products in civic facilities has the potential to improve one’s well-being, reduce stigma, break down barriers to activities and further promote gender equity.”
According to a report by city staff, providing free menstrual products in 15 Delta facilities, with around eight dispensers per site, will cost an estimated $18,600 plus tax.
The program will run for one year, allowing the city to review the costs, usage and other impacts of the project.
Mayor George Harvie thanked Johal for her leadership on the issue, as well as committee chair Coun. Dylan Kruger and everyone else involved in bringing the idea forward.
“It’s time. It’s just common sense,” Harvie said.
RELATED: 500,000 menstrual products collected in month-long United Way period promise campaign