Public Washrooms Are Failing More Than Half of Menstruators
We asked. Canadians answered. In our landmark 2026 Period Equity Survey, 54% of respondents reported facing critical dignity barriers in public infrastructure.
The "cost of silence" is built right into our shared spaces—but now that we have the numbers, we have the roadmap to fix them. Here is what we learned, and exactly what you can do.
What we learned
For too long, the "cost of silence" around menstruation has been built directly into our shared spaces. Our latest survey proved that public infrastructure is letting people down—but it also gave us the exact roadmap we need to fix it.
The survey revealed three connected costs of silence: dignity, money, and knowledge.
When our spaces aren’t built for periods
The dignity cost - 54%
54% of menstruators face critical "dignity barriers" in public infrastructure.
When people are out at school, work, or in public spaces, more than half of them cannot count on washrooms having basic necessities like:
- Available period products
- Safe, private stalls
- Clean facilities
- Proper disposal bins
Because of this lack of reliability, 54% of people surveyed say they do not feel confident using public period infrastructure. This creates a massive "mobility barrier." If you aren't sure you can safely handle your period while away from home, you are much more likely to stay home altogether. This limits people's ability to go to work, attend classes, or participate fully in public life.
About the Cost of Silence survey
The Cost of Silence survey was created to better understand the real-life impact of period inequity across Canada — from affordability and access to the emotional, educational, and workplace challenges menstruators face every day.
By turning lived experiences into evidence-based data, the survey helps identify where the biggest gaps exist and supports joni’s mission to advance menstrual justice through accessible period care, advocacy, and systemic change.
As part of our broader BLEED Mission, this research reinforces that menstrual equity is essential to health, dignity, education, and economic participation.
No one should have to choose groceries or period care
The Financial Cost - 48%
According to the survey, 48% of Canadian menstruators had to choose between buying period products and paying for basic needs (like food, rent, or utilities) in the past year.
This isn't a one-time emergency. The data shows that 29% of menstruators experience this crisis repeatedly (3 or more x a year). That's nearly a third of menstruators who are trapped in chronic period poverty.
The study highlights a dangerous 26-percentage-point "worry gap":
- 59% experience constant budget anxiety over the ongoing cost of period care.
- 33% have already crossed into a full crisis, regularly choosing between period care and food or shelter.
The space between these numbers represents a vulnerable population living on the edge. Any sudden expense—like a higher grocery or utility bill—can push them directly into acute period poverty.
our non-profit period equity partners
When information stays in the family
The knowledge cost - 64%
When it comes to learning about menstrual health, our healthcare system is missing in action. The data reveals a massive breakdown in how medically accurate information is delivered, leaving families to fill the gap.
64% of Canadian menstruators relied on family members for their menstrual health education, and 29% learned from friends.
In contrast, only 14% of people received this vital information from healthcare providers, while 6% received no education at all.
While families and friends do their best to support each other, it means the quality of a person's health education depends entirely on their family's personal knowledge and resources, rather than professional, medically accurate standards.
Together for a period-friendly world
The “cost of silence” shows up most visibly in our shared spaces: washrooms and public infrastructure that ignore menstruation.
A period-friendly world is one where buildings, budgets, and policies treat period care as basic infrastructure, not a personal problem.
Now that we know how many people are being failed by our shared spaces, we have the power—and responsibility—to redesign them. A period-friendly world is within reach when we treat period care as basic infrastructure.
Now that we know, we can act.
The Cost of Silence is Measured in Lost Potential.
The Dividends of Dignity are Limitless.
When we quantify the hidden economic, educational, and systemic tolls of period inequity, the data demands a response. Investing in menstrual justice is no longer just a corporate social responsibility—it is an economic imperative that unlocks workplace productivity, educational access, and human rights.
“A period-friendly world isn’t a dream—it’s a decision.”
Frequently asked questions
Awareness tells us that periods happen; data tells us what happens when they are ignored. For decades, a systemic silence has shrouded menstruation, meaning the actual economic, workplace, and educational penalties of period inequity have never been properly measured in Canada. By focusing on the "Cost of Silence," this research moves past abstract empathy and provides the hard, quantifiable evidence required to draft policy, change labour standards, and demand institutional accountability.
The data gathered will be used to move beyond awareness and into institutional accountability. Specifically, the findings will be leveraged to:
- Provide evidence for legislative advocacy and policy change at municipal, provincial, and federal levels.
- Arm corporate partners with the insights needed to implement workplace dignity standards.
- Validate brand activism as an essential vehicle for driving measurable social change.
If our BLEED anthology represents the vital, qualitative lived experiences of menstruators across the country, the Cost of Silence survey provides the quantitative framework to back those stories up. Together, they form a complete advocacy ecosystem. While the stories break the cultural stigma, this data arms us with the factual ammunition needed to transform menstrual equity from a niche wellness conversation into a human rights and corporate economic priority.
Period inequity is not experienced equally. To ensure our data centers intersectional equity, the survey explicitly measures the compounded barriers faced by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) and LGBTQ2+ menstruators. By intentionally tracking these metrics, the study ensures that future policy recommendations protect the most vulnerable segments of our communities rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions.
This data is designed to be highly actionable.
- For Policymakers: The findings serve as an evidence-based mandate to support legislative changes, such as expanding free period care initiatives in public spaces and schools.
- For Corporate Partners: The data provides a clear business case for implementing robust menstrual equity policies within their own organizations—proving that investing in accessible period care directly safeguards workplace productivity and employee dignity.
The survey collected responses from 411 participants across Canada. To ensure relevance and actionable insights, the survey strictly focused on individuals who menstruate who are 18 years of age or older.
Yes. While we plan to expand the sample size in future iterations of this study to capture deeper regional insights, a baseline of 400 respondents aligns with national data standards. For context, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) frequently utilizes a 400-respondent threshold as a standard for localized and specific population health reporting.
- This survey was conducted by Cashew Research using industry-standard market research quality controls and privacy-first data handling practices to protect participant confidentiality and support the integrity of the results.
- Participant responses were collected securely and reported only in aggregate. Personally identifiable information was not collected as part of this survey. Cashew’s data handling practices are designed to align with applicable Canadian privacy requirements, including PIPEDA principles where applicable.
- To support data quality, Cashew applies a multi-layered validation process before analysis, combining automated response quality checks with research team oversight where appropriate. These controls help identify and remove incomplete, duplicate, inconsistent, low-quality, or unusually fast responses, ensuring the final dataset is based on valid, high-quality completed surveys.
- The survey used eligibility screening to ensure responses came from Canadian adults aged 18+ who currently use menstrual products. Final analysis was based on valid completed responses that met the study’s screening and quality criteria.
While period inequity affects all areas of public life, our research specifically highlights critical infrastructure gaps within:
- The Corporate Sector & Workplaces: Tracking lost productivity, forced absenteeism, and lack of workplace dignity standards.
- Education Systems: Measuring how a lack of accessible care directly impacts student attendance and academic focus.
- Public and Municipal Facilities: Identifying failures in community infrastructure to support marginalized or unhoused menstruators.
No. The survey was quite robust to result in a number of more granular insights. The top three insights presented on this page are a result of those more stats. To see the greater details of the study, please download the toolkit.