Menstrual products are a basic and essential need to ensure a person’s full participation in school, work and society. As such, the Council of Yukon First Nations is working with the department to ensure menstrual equity for all Yukon First Nations women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples.
As part of a previous commitment by Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu to ensure that menstrual products be made available equitably and free of charge, the department has partnered with the Council of Yukon First Nations to administer this project in the Yukon. Various menstrual products, including pads, tampons and menstrual cups have been distributed to Yukon First Nation communities and NGOs as part of this initiative.
This project allows for the purchase and availability of menstrual products in schools across the Yukon that will allow students to access a variety of menstrual products free of charge. Leaders in the Yukon on this project will determine the product needs for Yukon First Nations people, followed by the procurement and warehousing of the menstrual products. This means that First Nations students will have the products they need when they need them.
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is providing $525,000 in 2022–23 to the Council of Yukon First Nations to implement this project in the Yukon. This funding is part of $2.5 million committed to increase access to menstrual products for First Nations and Inuit students across the territories and in Inuit Nunangat. The Yukon government also provided $100,000 in funding in 2021–22 to help support the Council of Yukon First Nations in administering this important initiative within Yukon schools.
