The province has been a leader in providing free menstrual products to students in schools.

That’s according to Education Minister Rob Fleming who says the province is working with school districts to make sure students get stigma free access whenever needed.

“This is something that British Columbia has been getting a lot of inquiries about from other jurisdictions right across Canada,” he said during a press conference ahead of the new school year. “I think even the state of Wisconsin is now imitating the initiative that we took as the first education system in North America to do this.”

A ministerial order issued earlier this spring gave schools until the end of this year to make these free menstrual products available.

“I’m very pleased at how excited the school districts have been willing to work with the ministry on that initiative.”

Back when the province announced the initiative, Fleming said it was a ‘common-sense step forward that was long overdue.”

The ministerial order came with $300,000 in provincial startup funding, and the ministry was to ensure that districts have the funding they need to meet the new requirements.