Free period product dispensers to be installed at Edmonton Catholic Schools
The Edmonton Catholic School Division (ECSD) will fully equip all washrooms with free period products by the fall.
On Tuesday, ECSD announced its commitment to ending period poverty by ensuring all washrooms for Grades 4 and up have dispensers full of no-cost hygiene products and disposal receptacles in the stalls.
In an effort to strengthen equity in schools, the division said it's making sure students no longer face barriers due to a lack of access to products.
“No student should have to skip class or feel embarrassed because they cannot access period products,” Sandra Palazzo, board chair, said.
Until the dispensers are installed, Palazzo said free products are currently available for students in the main office of ECSD schools.
Last year, a school-wide research project was held at St. Francis Xavier Catholic High School, assessing the need for period product access.
The study found 94 per cent of female respondents and the majority of males thought students should have products and disposal options in washrooms.
It also found there was a shared concern from students around the cost of purchasing products.
“Period poverty is a real issue in schools,” Kennedy Devlin, an AP student at St. Francis Xavier, explained. “Yet often goes undiscussed because of stigma around it.”
“Having to hide pads or tampons in their sleeves, asking a teacher for help, or worrying about missing class because of a lack of products at their disposal is one stress factor that could be alleviated by making products readily available.”
In June 2021, the school installed dispensers and receptacles as part of a pilot program.
“It’s amazing that Edmonton Catholic heard this need through our research and are clearly addressing it,” Sophia Rouget, another Grade 12 student on the research project, added.
According to ECSD, it’ll cost about $300,000 to implement the initiative and it will be funded by the Operations and Maintenance budget of the division.
The dispensers and receptacles are expected to be installed by September of this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Speaker kicks Poilievre out of Commons over unparliamentary comments
Speaker Greg Fergus kicked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre out of the House of Commons during question period today.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
Conservatives push motion calling for Carney to testify, say it's about 'accountability'
The federal Conservatives made good on their promise to push for former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney to testify before MPs, resulting in a heated political debate in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
London Drugs stores remain closed, 'cybersecurity incident' may have breached personal data
London Drugs says it is working with third-party security experts as the company tries to reopen dozens of stores across Western Canada that were shuttered by a cybersecurity incident Sunday.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.