On May 28, The Period Purse will rally Canadians with an urgent call: Periods Shouldn't Come at a Cost.
TORONTO, May 28, 2026 /CNW/ - To mark the 12th annual Menstrual Health Day (MH Day) on May 28, 2026, The Period Purse, Canada's first registered charity dedicated to menstrual equity, is launching a national campaign calling on governments and Canadians to take action on period poverty –– a growing issue affecting 1 in 6 people who menstruate in this country. The organization will also be lending its support to legislation being introduced today by Ontario NDP MPP Alexa Gilmour to advance menstrual equity in the province.
"This is the kind of policy that we need if we're serious about ending period poverty across Canada," said Sarah Mayes, Executive Director of The Period Purse. "Our message this Menstrual Health Day is simple: periods shouldn't come at a cost. No one should have to miss work or school because they lack access to period products. Period-friendly policies should be as common as periods."
Period poverty isn't a fringe issue –– it's a systemic one –– and rising costs are making it worse. According to Canada's Consumer Price Index, the cost of pads, tampons, and other personal care items has risen by more than 20 per cent over the past five years. Canadians already spend between $83 and $230 annually on period products, and these are often the first essentials cut when household budgets tighten. For people in rural and Indigenous communities, costs can be double the national average.
The consequences ripple far beyond the bathroom:
- 1 in 6 people who menstruate in Canada can't afford period products
- 15% say a lack of products has held them back from daily activities like school or work
- 52% feel the need to hide that they have their period
- Nearly half (46%) have experienced or witnessed stigma, jokes, or negative comments about menstruation
Running until June 2026, the "Periods Shouldn't Come at a Cost" campaign will raise funds to provide menstrual products to people in need, increase awareness of menstrual health, and advocate for sustained government action on menstrual equity. Through product drives, community events, advocacy, and public education, The Period Purse aims to shift the conversation from charity to equity, and from awareness to action. The campaign will call on Canadians to:
- Normalize the conversation. Say the word "period" at school, at work, and around the dinner table. Breaking the silence is the first step towards ending the stigma.
- Create supportive spaces. Advocate for free period products in workplaces and schools so no one has to choose between dignity and productivity.
- Take action locally. Organize a product drive to support a local shelter or food bank, or donate directly to The Period Purse.
- Advocate for policy change. Urge all levels of government to advance menstrual equity -- from making period products available in schools, workplaces, and municipal buildings, to strengthening menstrual health education, and providing sustained funding for organizations doing this important work.
To recognize MH Day this year, landmarks across Canada will be lit up red, flags will be raised, and cities will issue proclamations to promote awareness of menstrual health and period poverty. For more information about local events and how to get involved, visit theperiodpurse.com/mhd-2026.
About The Period Purse
Founded in 2017, The Period Purse is Canada's first registered charity dedicated to menstrual equity. Guided by a vision of a future where a period is simply a period -- never a barrier -- the organization works to ensure that periods are understood, products of choice are accessible, and period-friendly policies are as common as periods. Since 2017, The Period Purse has distributed more than 7 million period products and provided menstrual health education to more than 20,000 Canadians.
About Menstrual Health Day (MH Day)
Observed globally on May 28 and initiated by the German non-profit WASH United in 2014, Menstrual Health Day brings together more than 1,000 international partner organizations working to break the silence around menstruation and create a world free from period poverty and stigma. The date –– May 28 –– represents the average length of a menstrual cycle (28 days) and the average duration of bleeding (five days).
Media availability:
When: Thursday, May 28 at 10 a.m.
What: MPP Alexa Gilmour, Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Women's Social and Economic Opportunity and a representative from Period Purse will speak at a Menstrual Health Day press conference in the Queen's Park Media Studio.
MPP Gilmour will be tabling two pieces of legislation that day aimed at ending period poverty:
1. The Menstrual Health Day Act, to proclaim May 28 each year as Menstrual Health Day.
2. A motion that would require all Ontario employers to make menstrual products available for free in workplace washrooms.
Where: Queen's Park Media Studio, Legislative Bldg, Rm 149, Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario
SOURCE The Period Purse
For other media inquiries, please contact: Lori Harito, Boulevard of Dreams PR, 416-523-9602, [email protected]
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