Free menstrual products offered at select Calgary washrooms to fight 'period poverty'

The City of Calgary has launched a pilot project to supply freepads and tampons in some city buildings.

The program called Free. Period. is a collaboration betweenthe city,CalgaryPublic Library and the Mayor's Youth Council.

"Not having access to period products can affect the participation, concentration, confidenceand performance of menstruating Calgarians inthe classroom, in the workplace and in everyday life," the city said in a release.

"Period poverty affects everyone, including families and friends of menstruators, non-binaryand trans folks. That's why we have free period products in some men's washrooms."

The products are available at washrooms in these buildings:

• Alberta Trade Centre (315 10th Ave. S.E.) first and second floors.
• Calgary Central Library (800 Third St. S.E.) second, third and fourth floors.
• Municipal Building (800 Macleod Trail S.E.) main floor.
• Village Square Leisure Centre (2623 56th St. N.E.) main floor.

"Period hygiene is a matter of human rights and human dignity," said IIiana Cutten, a member of the Mayor's Youth Council who helped spearhead the project.

"We thought it was only natural that the next step in this progression was to provide these products in bathrooms for everyone to use, anyone who menstruates to use."

The four-month long pilot wraps up at the end of December.

It includes an online survey on the city's website to help determine if it should be expanded to other city buildings.