Period Equity

Menstruation, Aunt Flo, shark week, time of the month...NAIT supports your period no matter who you are or what you call it.

This pilot project aims to reduce the stigma of periods and increase the accessibility of period supplies and education for NAIT community members.

It is our aim that free menstrual supplies will support gender equity on campus and the dignity and well-being of all NAIT students.

What is period equity and why does it matter?

Periods have different impacts on different folks, depending on their situation.  Some people experience barriers to accessing menstrual supplies, safe and sanitary washroom/bathing facilities, and accurate education regarding periods and menstrual health. 

Period equity means ensuring that everyone who has periods can access necessary products, education, and support to manage their periods with dignity and without undue barriers.  Period equity also includes the ability to discuss issues concerning menstruation without stigma.

Period poverty

Period poverty is the inability to access menstrual supplies due to financial limitations. Period poverty can also lead to the experience of shame, particularly without access to adequate washroom facilities. In Canada, approximately 1 in 5 of those who menstruate struggle to afford period products, which can impact health, particularly if people are forced to use menstrual products for longer than is considered safe.

Period poverty has a negative impact on multiple human rights, including the right to health, education, work, non-discrimination, gender equality, and to participate freely in all aspects of public life.

How students are impacted

On Canadian post-secondary campuses, students are speaking up about the ways that periods impact their lives and learning environments. The realities of period poverty, and of menstruation in general, means that students may not be able to afford period products, or may be caught unaware without supplies handy.

 A recent UBC study found that 67% of student respondents disclosed lack of access to period supplies, and notably, “this has led them to miss or has negatively affected their ability to fully participate in an academic or extracurricular activity on campus.”

No student should be forced to miss learning opportunities or have to go without other life necessities in order to access and afford period supplies!

We would love your feedback

Please take a moment to participate in our brief survey regarding your experience with our Period Equity pilot project.

Take survey now

FAQs

Where can I find menstrual products?

Main Campus

J101 Gender Inclusive
J209B Peer Support Office
CAT180 Student Service Centre
CAT278 Women's
CAT275 Men's
CAT301 Business Information Centre
W101 International and Intercultural Community Centre (IICC)
W111PB Counselling 
W220 Women's
W218 Men's
U117 Women's
U115 Men's
U310 Library Services
T110 OEDI Community Space
T203 Academic Advising & Career Services
O108 NAITSA Office
L159 Welcome Centre
L142 Assessment Services
E105 Learning Services
E121 Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre
E131 Athletics and Recreation Office
E229 Apprenticeship Office
S006

Fitness Weight Centre

S105 Health Services

Satellite Campuses

P112 (Patricia) Gender Inclusive
Z144 (Souch) Women's
Z138 (Souch) Men's
CH105 (Spruce Grove) Women's
CH107 (Spruce Grove) Men's

Is there a cost for the products?

No – all period products are available to those who need them for free, for the duration of the pilot.

Why are products available in washrooms accessed by men?

While it is true that menstruation is most often experienced in the bodies of women and girls – a wide array of genders menstruate, including some men. 

Menstrual health issues are human rights issues, and therefore of importance to everyone. This means that everyone should be included in conversations about gender equality, including period equity.

Even if you don’t have a period, chances are that you know and love people who do!

Why is it a pilot?

This is the first time NAIT has provided free menstrual products in washrooms. The purpose of the pilot is to assess demand, usage, and costs to inform a longer-term strategy for this initiative.

Periods are a private thing. Why are we talking about this?

Limited education about periods and menstrual health is one of the major barriers to period equity.  Lack of education on menstrual health perpetuates the stigma about periods.  Stigma and the lack of open discussion is a large part of what prevents period equity, and the ability of everyone to fully participate in work, school, sports, and community activities.

When people cannot access safe facilities, reliable information, and affordable means of managing their periods, they are denied human dignity. Period-related teasing, exclusion and shame further undermine the principle of human dignity.

What do I do if the dispenser is empty or damaged?

Please report any issues with the bathroom dispensers to studentlife@nait.ca.

Period equity resources and research

Research

  • Bobel, Chris, and Breanna Fahs. 2020. “From Bloodless Respectability to Radical Menstrual Embodiment: Shifting Menstrual Politics from Private to Public.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 45, no. 4: 955-983. http://doi.org/10.1086/707802.
  • Khan, Zeba and Niki Oveisi. 2020. “Let’s Talk About Periods: A Critical Analysis of Menstrual Inequities in Canada. Full Report.” Free Periods Canada.
  • Munro, Alana K., Erin C. Hunter, Syeda Z. Hossain, Melanie Keep. 2021. “A systematic review of the menstrual experiences of university students and the impacts on their education: A global perspective.” PLOS ONE 16, no. 9: 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0257333
  • Risling Baldy, Cutcha. 2017. “mini-k’iwh’e:n (For That Purpose—I Consider Things): (Re)writing and (Re)righting Indigenous Menstrual Practices to Intervene on Contemporary Menstrual Discourse and the Politics of Taboo.” Cultural Studies—Critical Methodologies 17, no. 1: 21–9. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1532708616638695
  • Smith, Lisa and Rim Gacimi. (2022). “Bloody Burdens: Post-secondary Students and Menstruation on Campus.” Atlantis, Vol. 43 No. 1.  https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/atlantis/2022-v43-n1-atlantis07734/1096955ar.pdf 
  • Triesman, Rachel. (2024)  A study found toxic metals in popular tampon brands. Here's what experts advise. National Public Radio (NPR). https://www.npr.org/2024/07/11/nx-s1-5036484/tampons-heavy-metals-study.
  • Vecchio, Karen - Chair. Report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. 2023. “LET’S TALK ABOUT IT, PERIOD: ACHIEVING MENSTRUAL EQUITY IN CANADA.” November, 44th  Parliament, 1st Session. House of Commons, Canada. Available on the House of Commons website at the following address: www.ourcommons.ca
  • Weiss-Wolf, Jennifer. 2019. Periods Gone Public. Skyhorse Publishing, New York. https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/arcade-publishing/9781948924207/periods-gone-public/
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