Period poverty is front and center following government’s announcement they will be providing free menstrual products in 367 schools across Nova Scotia.
Lunenburg MLA Suzanne Lohnes Croft hopes the move will help reduce absences for school.
“There are lots of girls that leave school part way through the day or don’t come to school because they don’t have products in their home.”
Erin Casey is the Founder of Dignity Period, a campaign to help Nova Scotians gain access to menstrual products.
While supportive of the announcement, Casey says schools will need to be sensitive about how they’re distributed.
“If you look to the Halifax Public Libraries, they’ve started supplying products in all their bathrooms, including men’s rooms because not everyone who has a period identifies as a woman or a girl. Some people are non-binary or Trans.”
Casey says putting menstrual products in locations like washrooms means students won’t have to ask office staff or teachers.
“Having to ask for these products month after month after month can be really humiliating. Personally, I’m hoping, and I know my fellow activists are hoping, that these products are going to be freely available in schools.”
Casey applauds this announcement but would like to see further measures taken to ensure period poverty is addressed in the broader community.
She is organizing an event called the Period Poverty Summit.
The aim is to bring together business people, government officials and organizations to discuss how to eliminate period poverty throughout Nova Scotia.
The Summit is scheduled for October 29 at the NSGEU building in Dartmouth.
More information can be found by clicking here.
Reported by: Ed Halverson
Twitter: @edwardhalverson
E-mail: halverson.ed@radioabl.ca
