Dalhousie University to provide free pads and tampons in washrooms

Dalhousie University is supplying many of its washrooms with free menstrual pads and tampons. 

The university announced the initiative on Oct. 4. It is intended to improve student access to menstruation products and will provide the supplies in 106 of its washrooms, including men's, women's and gender-neutral washrooms in 56 buildings across its four campuses. The university will install signs below gender symbols on bathrooms to indicate that they have the products.

Before, students who needed pads or tampons could access them through the Dalhousie Student Union Building, but the free products weren't available in bathrooms.

Micha Davies-Cole is the manager of the Dalhousie Student Union Food Bank. The food bank gives out bundles of tampons and pads, instead of whole packages, to avoid running out of supplies. She said menstrual products normally run out every month or two.

"I would love to be able to hand somebody a full package and say here, you don't have to worry about buying any in a day or two, but we cannot keep with that kind of demand," she said.

She said Dalhousie will have to do a lot of logistics to make sure its supplies don't run out.

Chris Hattie is the co-assistant vice-president of Dalhousie's human resources. He said there is no limit on how many supplies the students take, but the custodial staff will be monitoring supplies roughly every day.

Other universities

Mount Saint Vincent University has been providing free menstrual products since 2018. Nearly 80 per cent of the students are women, and products are available in men's, women's and gender-neutral washrooms around its campus.

In other universities, like Saint Mary's University and the University of King's College, supplies are available through the student unions.

Public libraries in Nova Scotia have provided free menstruation products in washrooms since 2019. Public schools in Nova Scotia also give out free period products to students from grades four to 12.

According to a 2023 survey funded by the Canadian Government, one in six Canadians who menstruate lack access to menstruation products, education, hygiene facilities or waste management. 

Davies-Cole said some students, like those without homes, will still need access to supplies for when they're off campus, so even with the new initiative there will be a need for period products at the food bank.

"As long as they still cost as much as they do to buy them, that's kind of the main issue," she said.

Although it's a pilot project, Hattie said he expects it to be a long-term initiative. The university is also looking into using an electronic or interactive map so that students know where products are available.

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