WHOA! WOKE, CANADA

‘Men’strual mandate

Tampons and sanitary napkins are now available in men’s bathrooms at the Canadian Parliament under a new policy from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that requires all federally regulated employers — including airports and military bases — to offer free menstrual products in all washrooms regardless of gender.

News of the policy change spread last week after former Canadian Conservative Sen. Linda Frum posted a photo of a basket offering free pads and tampons in a men’s bathroom for transgender members of Parliament — setting off a firestorm online.

“Back in the day, when only women menstruated, we had to pay for our own products. But now that men menstruate, too, these products, as of this week, are mandated to be free in all men’s washrooms in all federal workplaces, including Parliament Hill — where this photo was taken today,” Frum’s X post reads.

Bathroom freebies

An anonymous account called @HOCstaffer (for the House of Commons) confirmed the report.

“They’re also going to build dispensers for all the tampons which won’t be used since 1) men don’t menstruate and 2) they are just going to bring them home to their wives for free,” the staffer posted.

Under the change to the Canadian Labor Code, announced in May and effective Dec. 15, “menstrual products must be in all toilet rooms regardless of their marked genders.

“This means that every female-identified, male-identified and all-gender toilet rooms will need to have menstrual products,” the regulations posted to Canada’s Employment and Social Development website state.

“Unrestricted access to menstrual products better protects menstruating employees and makes sure that they feel safe to use the toilet room that best reflects their gender.”

It is up to each employer to find the funding necessary to purchase these products and disposal containers.

In a statement, Trudeau’s government said “providing employees with access to menstrual products supports better health outcomes and workplace productivity while reducing the stigma often associated with menstruation.”

Political agenda

Efforts to encourage the Canadian government to add menstrual products to men’s bathrooms began in 2020 when Rachel Ettinger, founder of Here for Her — a campaign focused on health education — petitioned her local representative.

She argued the government should “look at menstrual products as a necessity item, just like toilet paper.

“You can’t provide a truly inclusive space for your employees without providing menstrual products,” she told CBC.

Megan White, executive director of Period Packs, also said providing free tampons and other menstrual products creates a more equitable work environment.

“It makes a huge difference knowing that they’re consistently there and you don’t have to carry one with you everywhere, like at the bottom of your purse or the bottom of your school bag or in your pocket,” she said.

But others have spoken out against the new policy, with political columnist Brian Lilley arguing the Trudeau government is ignoring the country’s growing unaffordability in favor of bathroom equity measures: “As a society, we can be respectful” but that does not mean “we need to ignore biology and pretend that men are now having periods.”

The Post has reached out Trudeau’s office for comment.