Announcing the Canada Menstrual Health Snapshot
Beginning in 2022, Days for Girls (DfG) – in collaboration with WASH United – began the Menstrual Health Country Snapshot project. Dedicated to providing high-level, research-based reports on menstrual health (MH) conditions, rights, and policies, DfG and our partners have published numerous Snapshots on low- and middle-income countries since June 2022.
Now, DfG is thrilled to announce the publication of our first high-income MH Country Snapshot: Canada!
In recent years, menstrual equity has emerged as a pressing issue in Canadian society and policy. Recent research on MH conditions in Canada, as well as a growing number of national programs and initiatives dedicated to combating period poverty, have placed renewed focus on menstrual equity. Additionally, Canada now contributes to, and partners with, a variety of initiatives dedicated to improving MH conditions and rights globally.
DfG’s Canada Snapshot was a collaborative research effort headed by leading experts from universities, non-profit organizations, and MH initiatives across Canada. This report has produced incredible insights into the realities of MH in Canada and revealed some of the MH inequities facing Indigenous communities, incarcerated individuals, and underserved youth and communities.
Here are three key findings from the Canada Snapshot:
- A 2021 survey found that 51% of respondents “struggled to purchase” MH products due to unaffordability (United Way Period Promise).
- MH inequity and lack of access to WASH facilities disproportionately impact people in remote Indigenous communities and those experiencing homelessness (D’Sa, 2019).
- In 2023, the Canada Labour Code was amended to ensure access to MH products in federally regulated workplaces (ESD, 2023).
These findings and the numerous others uncovered in the Canada Snapshot demonstrate the importance of comprehensive MH research in high-income countries. DfG is excited to share the Canada Snapshot with our community of MH advocates and supporters around the world, and cannot wait to see how this research impacts the way we view MH in all countries, even high-income ones. Through investing in projects like these, we are one step closer to reaching menstrual equity.
Read the full Canada Menstrual Health Country Snapshot HERE.
