In December 2023, Canada made history by amending the Labour Code to require federally regulated employers to provide free menstrual products in the workplace. This change, which affects nearly half a million employees across industries such as transportation, banking, and broadcasting, marks a turning point in how society addresses menstrual health and equity. For far too long and still in many parts of the world, menstruation has been or still is hidden behind stigma, treated as a private inconvenience rather than a public matter of dignity and inclusion. As of 2023, workplaces across Canada are being called to act, not only to comply with the law but to embrace a more equitable future.
A vast majority of menstruating people in Canada have experienced unexpected bleeding in public without access to products, and a bit over a quarter have had to sacrifice essentials like food or rent to afford them. Period poverty is not a distant issue. It affects people everywhere, with consequences for education, employment or even health. The environmental toll of conventional products is immense. In the US alone, 19 billion single-use menstrual products are consumed every year, most of them destined for landfills where they take 500 to 800 years to decompose.
This is where GOTS-certified brands like Iris + Arlo are redefining what progress looks like. Founded by Canadian entrepreneur Lara Emond, Iris + Arlo was created by and for people with menstruation who were frustrated by the lack of healthy, sustainable and well-designed products. By choosing to get their products GOTS-certified, Iris + Arlo ensures that every pad or tampon is free from harmful chemicals like dioxins, pesticides and phthalates. GOTS certification also guarantees safe, secure, equal and clean working conditions across the supply chain and enforces strict environmental and social standards, making each product safe not just for the user, but for our planet as well.
For employers facing the new Labour Code requirements, Iris + Arlo offers a turnkey solution that goes beyond compliance. They provide dispensers and disposal systems for workplaces, healthy products that are hypoallergenic and free from toxins and even workshops or educational resources that help break the stigma around menstruation.
What makes this shift powerful is that it transforms a legal obligation into an opportunity for culture change! Employers in Canada who adopt Iris + Arlo’s GOTS-certified menstrual products are showing their teams that dignity and wellbeing matter, that sustainability is a priority and that menstruation has no place in the shadows. It’s a statement that equity belongs in the workplace, and that inclusion means meeting people’s most essential needs with care and respect.
The amendment to the Labour Code is an important milestone, but its significance goes well beyond compliance. It signals a broader recognition that menstrual health is a matter of public health, workplace equality, and environmental justice. Menstrual equity is not just about pads and tampons, but about reshaping how society values people, their health and the world that surrounds us.
With brands like Iris + Arlo and the GOTS Certificate behind them, this new era of menstrual care is not only possible but already underway.
