Canadian military to provide tampons for male soldiers

All Canadian military bases will soon be required to have menstruation products in the men's restroom to align with the federal government directive issued by Employment and Social Development Canada to promote "inclusivity," with the initiative expected to kick off on Dec. 15.  

Major Soomin Kim from the Department of National Defence confirmed the policy. He told True North, "Starting December 15, 2023, as per the Canada Labour Code, all federally managed washrooms will be required to provide menstrual products to all employees." 

The guidelines put out by the Government of Canada dictate that menstrual products, such as pads and tampons "must be readily available in all toilet rooms in workplaces controlled by the employer." 

In a separate paragraph, it confirms that "menstrual products must be in all toilet rooms, regardless of their marked genders." The regulation continues, "This means that every female-identified, male-identified and all gender toilet rooms will need to have menstrual products. Unrestricted access to menstrual products better protects menstruating employees and makes sure that they feel safe to use the toilet room that best reflects their gender." 

The regulation also dictates that "Employers must also make sure a covered container for disposal of menstrual products is provided. A disposal container must be placed in each toilet room that has one toilet."

Canadian Veterans group Veterans 4 Freedom posted a picture on X, confirming that the products are available in the men's room of at least one military installation. The caption read "Why is everyone quitting the CAF?" 

According to True North, in July the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) revealed it was struggling with recruitment and was facing personnel shortages. In a federal briefing titled "Recruitment And Retention," there was a 35 percent drop in the number of people volunteering for the armed forces. 

The report notes that the government plans to lower entry standards and promote diversity over merit in an attempt to boost recruitment. 

In a recent poll, 72 percent of Canadians reported wanting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to exit politics and leave as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. The petition, sponsored by MP Michelle Ferreri (CPC-Peterborough-Kawartha), states that "The policies of this government aren't aligning with the crisis Canada is facing." 

It lists "housing costs, infringement of civil liberties, the highest inflation in history, unbalanced immigration policies, taxation to the point of poverty, weakening of our economy by importing natural resources that Canada already has and under-utilizes" as areas where Trudeau's government has failed the people.