Students at Douglas College now have access to free menstrual products in every on-campus washroom—women’s, gender-inclusive and men’s. With this, the College joins a rising movement in post-secondary schools across B.C. to fight period poverty, or lack of access to menstrual products.
Fifty new machines provide access to free tampons and pads for all students, employees and visitors at the Coquitlam and New Westminster campuses, including washrooms at the Anvil Office Tower.
"At Douglas College, we take pride in making our spaces equitable for students, and these new machines are a critical new piece of that infrastructure,” says Patty Hambler, Director of Student Affairs and Services. “We want our students to have what they need to take care of themselves, to ultimately learn and thrive."
Until now, students could access coin-dispensed menstrual products in select washrooms on campus, or through the Douglas Students’ Union (DSU) who offered a limited free supply in their building at the New Westminster Campus and their kiosk at the Coquitlam Campus.
The proposal to introduce free campus-wide menstrual products was brought forward by the DSU, citing research on the academic impact of period poverty. This research included a joint study from Dr. Selina Tribe and Dr. Lisa Smith, two Douglas College instructors, who found that 49% of participating post-secondary students had lost notable class time in the past because they didn’t have the menstrual products they needed.
All 50 dispensers have been installed as of March 25.
Douglas College is the largest degree-granting college in B.C., combining the academic foundations of a university and the employer-ready skills of a college to graduate resilient global citizens who adapt, innovate and lead in a changing world.
For more information, visit douglascollege.ca
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Contact
Zach Siddiqui
Communications Coordinator
siddiquiz1@douglascollege.ca