Health and wellness
October 8, 2021Period Poverty: Helping girls in need
Socks. Old t-shirts. Fabric scraps. These are all items that some Canadians have said they’ve used as alternatives to pads or tampons when faced with the impossible choice between buying a period product or an essential item on their grocery list. It’s a situation known as “period poverty.”
Nearly a quarter of Canadian women say that they’ve experienced inadequate access to period products in their lifetime, something that causes devastating effects on their health and wellness.
Today, Shoppers Drug Mart announced a partnership with the Ontario government to make period products more accessible to Ontario students.
With the help of our vendors – U by Kotex® Canada and Procter & Gamble Canada -, we will donate a total of 18 million products and 1200 dispensers to high schools in higher risk areas across the province of Ontario – an initiative that will start in January 2022 and last for three years.
“Inequitable access to period products, particularly for students, can lead to missed opportunities – school, work, and other activities – and creates barriers to success. This donation will provide thousands of students in Ontario with free access to period products, thousands who won’t have to make a difficult choice between essential items,” said Jeff Leger, President, Shoppers Drug Mart.
“We are proud to be a part of this initiative, and grateful to our stores, our partners, and our customers for their support.”
Want to join us in our mission to #EndPeriodPoverty? The next time you give to your local food bank, consider adding period products to your donation.