Status of Women committee  Yes. We should be considering the broader spectrum of where we place the products. It's not just charities; it's using all the touchpoints we've talked about. It's also providing education to ensure people know where to access a product so that people know how to find them. How do you set up free products in your school?

Status of Women committee  Absolutely. That's a great question. I think, first, it signals how big the gap is and how big the need is here. Let's do the school situation, in the interest of time. Yes, the Ontario government put money toward putting products in schools. It was an incredible first step forward.

Status of Women committee  No, I disagree. It will make a substantial difference. Will it be enough to completely solve the problem? I can't answer that. This is where we're going to see what that threshold is, but we need to come together and help people. If people can go to work, it means they're going to earn more income and potentially be able to afford their own products down the road if they save money.

Status of Women committee  That's correct. This is where we need to have creative answers. If people are working from home, where can they access those products? Can they get them from a different location? What we need to remember is that people can afford their products. They're going to buy what they want, and they choose.

Status of Women committee  Yes. I really don't know the economics behind how to make it affordable, but I know we need to take that into consideration. The prices are increasing. I'm seeing them increase substantially, as you said. If there is a step forward we can take, that would be a great thing for this government to explore.

Status of Women committee  This is Danielle speaking. Yes, we need to take into consideration the boil water advisories in so many communities. Often we think that they just affect drinking water and cooking, but they do intersect with menstrual equity. A lot of the reusable pads, period underwear, and cups need to be boiled and cleaned correctly in order to keep them sterile and working properly.

Status of Women committee  Absolutely. I think it's considering where people who menstruate go. The washrooms are perfect as a touchpoint and that first step; they're already there. They need the products, so let's get them there. As Madeleine was saying, it's thinking outside of the box to other places like food banks and community centres, different places where people will need products.

Status of Women committee  One out of seven women will struggle with their periods and getting products. It can be anything, like what we talked about with schools. When a student needs a product, whether they have challenges of their family affording it or not, it's about discovering that they need the product while they're in the washroom, locating wherever it is in the school, going back to use the washroom, and then going back to their classroom where they've missed out on class time.

Status of Women committee  There are so many different stories that we hear when it comes to needing to get access to products. That's why we need to work with shelters, libraries and food banks, and even with different community partners out there on the streets, such as the vans going around or whatnot.

Status of Women committee  Thank you for having me. I'm Danielle Kaftarian, operations manager at The Period Purse. The Period Purse started in 2017 when our founder was driving to work one day. While she was at a red light, someone was panhandling at her car window and she had nothing to give them. That's when she had an “aha” moment: What does someone who is unhoused do while on their period?