A pair of Burlington women are thrilled that their Pink Project has spread throughout Halton and beyond.
Iman Nemar, studying third-year biology at McMaster University, and Olivia Netto, graphic designer with Sunwing Air and a Carleton University industrial design student, became best friends while attending Nelson High School.
During COVID, and their final year of high school, they chatted about the fact that period products should be available to everyone who needs them. Furthermore, menstruation shouldn’t be something that’s not talked about; it’s a fact of life, not a reason for embarrassment, or something to hide.
“We had so many conversations about it; periods always come at the worst time, when you can’t find a product, and you end up having to spend $20 on a big package,” said Netto.
The friends, who also went to elementary school together, started out forging partnerships with institutions where period products were delivered. Just like toilet paper or soap – provided free at public facilities – period products are a needed amenity in public washrooms.
“Period products are a necessity and not a luxury,” they stated.
A six-month pilot program to place period products free of charge in the community at 19 washroom locations, including Burlington City Hall and Burlington Public Library, expanded to permanent implementation in Burlington across 90 public washrooms in 2022.
In adopting the Pink Project, the city stated: “Offering free menstrual hygiene products in public washrooms is now considered as essential to the community as offering toilet paper, soap and paper towels. Providing menstrual hygiene products in each of the public washrooms in the facility also provides a more inclusive approach to support the needs of transgender and non-binary individuals.”
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, who noted the pair delegated at the 2022 city budget discussions, said that 66 per cent of young women struggle to afford feminine hygiene products. "Providing these products free of charge is something that we can do that brings us closer to equity at our City facilities,” she said.
Today, the Pink Project has spread to Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills, Mississauga and beyond.
The two women believe now is the time normalized and even cherish menstruation.
And, since custodial staff look after public washrooms, they are able to add products as needed.
“The only cost to add would be the cost of the product,” explained Nemar. “The costs are extremely low, especially when buying wholesale, since they’re buying from providers they already have.”
In November 2022, the city made the pilot project permanent. They clearly recalled the mayor’s vote on the project: “Yes, I don’t know why this isn’t already here.”
The Pink Project won the 2023 Mayor’s Award at the Burlington Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards.
“It was an incredible honour, a full-circle moment. Looking at these people who were our supporters. Since it was a baby pilot in Burlington,” said Nemar.
“Seeing the fruits of our labour… we are very very grateful to have been given that award,” said Netto.
So even though the pandemic took away their final year of in-class studies and left them without a prom to observe that special time, they were able to celebrate the Pink Project.
After that, they focused on the second portion of the project – getting periods out in the open and reducing the taboo associated with talking about them.
In addition, they want people to know about period poverty that exists everywhere in the world.
