Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has mandated that tampons and other sanitary products be provided for transgender and two-spirit employees in men's bathrooms in federally regulated spaces.

The change in tampon policy was announced in May but went into effect on Dec. 15.

A statement from the Trudeau government said “providing employees with access to menstrual products supports better health outcomes and workplace productivity while reducing the stigma often associated with menstruation.”

The effort was spearheaded in 2020 by a petition created by activist Rachel Ettinger.

"We have to look at menstrual products as a necessity item, just like toilet paper," Ettinger said. "You can't provide a truly inclusive space for your employees without providing menstrual products."

The government said that the cost of providing the menstrual products would be shouldered by each employer.

“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," according to the country's Employment and Social Development website.

Some critics online lambasted Trudeau for focusing on transgender tampon policies at a time when housing costs have skyrocketed in Canada.

Columnist Brian Lilley argued that the policy was continuing the attempt to eliminate the word "woman" from society.

“We are eliminating the language that identifies women as being distinct from men,” he wrote.

Ettinger, meanwhile, expressed hope that the federal policy would lead to a nationwide policy for all public bathrooms.

"I'm really hoping that as an activist this will kind of be a domino effect for other public sector businesses, schools, and then of course for the private sector to jump on and realize that this is an inclusivity issue," she added.

Here's more about the trans-tampon policy:

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