22,000 women in need of menstrual hygiene products, study says
Toronto has highest prevalence of vulnerable women in province, according to results
It would cost roughly $1.9 million to provide menstrual hygiene products to about 22,000 women in shelters and school-age girls from low-income brackets in Toronto, according to new research released Monday.
The findings from the Canadian Centre of Economic Analysis show more than seven million tampons and pads are needed by vulnerable women and girls in Toronto.
“The City of Toronto has a higher prevalence of these kinds of vulnerable groups than the rest of the province,” president Paul Smetanin said. “Of Ontario, over one in four of these people live in the city. To be honest, I was shocked about both the issue and the number of people in need in the city.”
The findings come as Mayor John Tory proclaimed Monday to be Menstrual Hygiene Day.
In a communique posted on Twitter, the mayor said: “MH Day offers a global platform that ... helps to break the silence and build awareness about the fundamental role that good menstrual hygiene management plays in the lives of women and girls.”
The Centre’s research was done probono after being approached by CarolAnn Granatstein, a Toronto “period poverty” advocate, who asked the firm to crunch the numbers to help show the scale of the problem. The Toronto data was offered exclusively to the Star.
“Here it is broken down, here’s what we need, here’s what it’s going to cost,” she said. “Now we just need to figure out who’s going to fund it. Everyone is responsible.”
Granatstein said the cost of products is prohibitive for some people. “These people have to choose between these products and putting food on the table and heating their homes.”
Asthe Star reported in 2017, vulnerable women at times resort to alternatives to feminine hygiene products, such as tissue paper, even newspaper, which can cause health problems. There are about 22,000 women and girls in Toronto who cannot afford menstrual hygiene products.
“If a person uses products not intended for menstrual hygiene use, they are at risk of irritation and infections, and if they use products beyond recommended use, they could be at risk for more serious consequences like toxic shock syndrome,” Granatstein said.
In 2016, New York City Council passed legislation to give women in public schools, prisons and homeless shelters access to free feminine hygiene products, according to the Washington Post, which reported the initiative would cost the city, which then had a budget of $82 billion, about $2.5 million on an annual basis.
In comparison, Toronto’s 2018 operating budget is about $11 billion. Roughly $171.3 million is devoted to shelter and related services.
“The Mayor understands the importance of proper access to menstrual health products. He expects this latest research will help guide City staff and Toronto Public Health officials in making future policy recommendations,” said Don Peat, director of communications for Tory, in a written response to the Star.
The centre’s research was done over a two-week span, with the firm delving into thirdparty databases, including municipal surveys and census data for Toronto, the province and Canada.
School-age girls from lowincome homes are defined as between the ages of 12 and 18; women and girls in shelters are between the ages of 12 and 49, Smetanin said. Across the country, there are about 204,500 vulnerable women and girls in need of these products, according to the data; in Ontario, about 86,300 people.
Patricia O’Connell, executive director of Sistering, a drop-in centre for women, said feminine hygiene products are an “everyday requirement.”
Granatstein sees hope in the mayor’s Menstrual Hygiene Day proclamation.
“He seems like an advocate,” she said. “Maybe he could do a little bit more. Lives are being impacted.”
A comedy show called Gags for Rags, produced by Granatstein, is slated for next month and will raise money for menstrual products for three recipients — the Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto, the Fred Victor drop-in centre on Adelaide St. and Women’s Health in Women’s Hands.