The sudden abdominal cramp, the rush to the nearest washroom, followed by the sheer panic of searching your purse and realizing that you didn’t pack a pad or tampon – a monthly cycle (no pun intended.) Well, Toronto Public Library (TPL) has a solution for that.
In a post on X, TPL said it has installed over 300 period product dispensers in each of its public washrooms across the city. The products are free of charge, an intentional move to make it “easier for people to access free pads and tampons.”
The initiative began as a means of addressing period inequity and to create a more welcoming, inclusive space in the city, explained TPL in the City Librarian’s Report.
“According to a 2023 report from Plan International Canada, one in four Canadians who menstruate struggle to afford menstrual products,” TPL said in the news release. “Providing free menstrual products not only meets a basic essential need but also confronts the stigma and financial barriers associated with menstruation.”
TPL also tagged The Period Purse in its X post, a non-profit organization that strives to achieve menstrual equity and reduce the stigma of periods.
TPL’s initiative follows a six-month period equity pilot with The Period Purse in 2022, where they tested the public’s response to the project at the TPL’s Malvern and Sanderson branches. Deeming the pilot successful, TPL decided to implement it citywide.
“We know that 25% of people who menstruate sometime in their life will not be able to afford their period products,” Jana Girdauskas, CEO of The Period Purse said to Now Toronto. “Getting them into a place like the library is a great place for people who need easy access to period products just like access to toilet paper and soap.”
Girdauskas founded The Period Purse after an encounter with a person experiencing homelessness made her question what they would do during menstruation. She gathered period products, as well as other wellness items, before realizing she didn’t have anything to put them in. After asking online for a spare “period purse,” Girdauskas received over 350 purses within a month filled with products to donate.
She champions TPL’s move, describing it as “one step towards menstrual equity.”
TPL encourages the public in search of free period products to use Period Pin to find the closest branch nearby.
