OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government wants to spend another $70 million on free menstrual products, extending a program launched under Justin Trudeau that has already helped more than four million Canadians.The commitment appears on page 245 of the federal budget, released Thursday. Ottawa plans to spend the money over two years, beginning in 2027–28, through the Menstrual Equity Fund.The budget says the funding will "provide free access to menstrual products and support menstrual health education and awareness."The program isn't new. Trudeau's government launched it in 2023, with Food Banks Canada distributing products through food banks and community organizations.Carney's government now wants to keep it running for another two years."Building on the success of this pilot initiative, which has helped over 4 million Canadians, a two-year renewal will support continued delivery," the budget reads..Women and Gender Equality Canada will also use the extension to study the program's results.The spending comes as federal rules already require menstrual products in men's and women's washrooms at federally regulated workplaces.Those requirements took effect in December 2023, when the Trudeau government made pads and tampons available at no cost to employees. The rules apply to federal public service workplaces, including offices on Parliament Hill, as well as federally regulated employers operating in sectors such as air transportation.That means the requirements can apply to employee washrooms at airports, although they do not require every public airport washroom to stock menstrual products.Employers must provide products in washrooms regardless of gender designation, with alternatives permitted in certain circumstances.The workplace rules and the Menstrual Equity Fund are separate initiatives.According to the budget, approximately 1.24 million people who menstruate in Canada live below the poverty line..The government says the renewed fund will particularly benefit low-income women and girls, along with transgender and gender-diverse people.But the budget provides little detail about how Ottawa intends to spend the additional $70 million.There is no breakdown showing how much will go toward purchasing menstrual products, how much will cover distribution or what portion will fund education.The government also has not provided a target for how many additional Canadians the renewal should reach.The funding would continue until the end of the 2028–29 fiscal year, subject to parliamentary approval.
