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McMaster Period Equity Program

The McMaster Period Equity Program aims to provide free menstrual products to students, staff, and faculty through bins and dispensers in select washrooms on McMaster’s main campus. 

The Importance of Period Equity

At McMaster, when an individual requires toilet paper, it is freely and readily available in our public washrooms. Like toilet paper, menstrual products are necessary for managing natural and unavoidable bodily functions, yet they are not easily accessible. The goal of the McMaster Period Equity Program is to reduce period poverty in the McMaster community by providing free menstrual products.

Free menstrual products are available in the following locations:

Building Room Number
DeGroote School of Business – Building 46 B134
Gerald Hatch Center – Building 16 1st floor All Gender Washroom
MDCL – Building 52 1015
PGCLL – Building 89 Wellness Center, 314
Thode Library – Building 42 106A, 206A
The  Hub – Building 54 C304
DBAC – Building 56 WB119, W107, W217, B128
ETB – Building 56 1st Floor Women’s Washroom
ABB – Building 25 105
Mills Library Buildign 10 V116, L117, L213A
Bates Residence – Building 40 B134
Brandon Hall – Building 36 B106
Edwards Hall – Building 5 B103
Heddon Hall – Building 45 B114
Mary Keyes – Building 50 212
Les Prince – Building 53 105
Matthews Hall – Building 26 B112
McKay Hall – Building 27 B118
Moulton Hall – Building 18 B120
Wallingford Hall – Building 6 B111
Whidden Hall – Building 19 B135
Woodstock Hall – Building 35 B109
Office of Community Engagement B 8 Mayfair
Health Sciences Library – Building 37 2BW2, 2BW3, 1BW2, 1BW3
MUSC – Building 51 Lower level – Women’s and All Gender
MUSC – Building 51 Ground floor – Women’s
MUSC – Building 51 Second Floor – Women’s and All Gender
MUSC – Building 51 Third Floor – Women’s and All Genders

Period equity is uninhibited access to menstrual products (e.g., pads, tampons, etc.), sanitation facilities, and educational materials. Period equity is rooted in the idea that the same rights and resources should be accessible to individuals when experiencing menstruation versus any other bodily function.

Period poverty is the inability to access menstrual products (e.g., pads, tampons, etc.), sanitation facilities, and educational materials due to financial limitations.

The McMaster Period Equity Program is a collaboration between several groups that were developing period equity projects for their areas with support from the McMaster Students Union (MSU) and funding from Facility Services.

While we will have staff and volunteers working hard to keep the dispensers full there may be times when we do not fill it as quickly as it is used. We’d appreciate it if you let us know when a dispenser is empty so we can refill it as soon as possible. 

Each dispenser has an location identification number on it to assist with location identification but you can also use the physical room number if needed.