A matter of human rights, not luxury: enacting legislation for uniform guaranteed access to menstrual products across Canada
| dc.contributor.author | Selby-Lyons, Avery | |
| dc.contributor.examiningcommittee | Perry, Adele (History) | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Henry, Rory | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-04-22T19:50:39Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-04-22T19:50:39Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-03-26 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2025-03-26T17:47:53Z | en_US |
| dc.degree.discipline | Law | |
| dc.degree.level | Master of Human Rights (M.H.R.) | |
| dc.description.abstract | Access to menstrual products is essential in protecting the human rights of menstruators. Limited access to menstrual products infringes on several fundamental human rights, including the right to health, education, work, gender equity, and dignity. The protection of these rights remains inadequately addressed across Canada. Ensuring access to menstrual products in schools, workplaces, and public institutions such as prisons and public facilities is crucial for protecting the rights of all menstruators in Canada. Using a policy analysis, this paper aims to understand if existing government laws and initiatives in Canada addressing access to menstrual products align with international human rights standards. The findings of this research show that current efforts to provide access to menstrual products are uneven and fail to meet the needs of Canadians, particularly marginalized communities. Despite some progress, significant gaps in legislation leave many without guaranteed access to these products, failing to adhere to international human rights law. This paper argues for comprehensive legislation across Canada to ensure access to menstrual products in schools, workplaces, and public institutions. Such legislation would protect the rights of menstruators and align with international human rights standards, addressing disparities in access. Standardizing legislation across provinces and territories, allocating funds for menstrual products through federal and provincial budgets, requiring businesses to provide products, providing coverage through insurance are key recommendations for achieving uniform access. | |
| dc.description.note | May 2025 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1993/39035 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.subject | Menstrual products | |
| dc.subject | access | |
| dc.subject | Canada | |
| dc.subject | period poverty | |
| dc.subject | legislation | |
| dc.title | A matter of human rights, not luxury: enacting legislation for uniform guaranteed access to menstrual products across Canada | |
| local.subject.manitoba | yes |