June 8, 2021 – Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, York Region District School Board will make free menstrual hygiene products available to all elementary and secondary students as part of its new Change the Cycle equity program. Dispensers will be installed in washrooms on each floor in every school, including one female identified washroom and one gender-neutral washroom.
YRDSB believes that barrier free access to period products is essential to foster inclusive, healthy learning environments where all students feel included. Having barrier free access to menstrual products enables students to focus on their education and improves well-being.
“Menstrual products are essential to the health and well-being of people who menstruate, yet they continue to be a stigmatizing topic for youth. The inability to afford menstrual products may become a barrier to students’ positive learning experience and healthy growth,” said Louise Sirisko, Director of Education.
“The program addresses the long-standing inequities related to menstrual hygiene that have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. I am incredibly pleased that the Board has actively listened, understood and responded to the needs of students,” said Student Trustee Christine Lin, 2020-21.
Installation of the cost free dispensers will begin this summer and extend into the 2021-2022 school year.
York Region District School Board is the third largest school district in Ontario with over 128,000 students in 180 elementary schools and 33 secondary schools. York Region students consistently perform above average in provincial testing and the Board is one of the top achievers in Ontario. For more information about the York Region District School Board, please visit the Board website and follow YRDSB on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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