As Ottawa pushes ahead with a plan to require federally regulated workplaces to provide free menstrual products to employees, a Vancouver woman is getting credit for bringing attention to the issue.

When Douglas College professor Selina Tribe discovered her daughter’s school didn’t have a free tampon machine in the bathroom, she spent $300 of her own money to buy one.

"For women, menstrual products are as essential as toilet paper,” said Tribe. “And I believe they should be provided everywhere toilet paper is found."

Tribe lobbied the school board in New Westminster to come up with a district-wide policy to provide pads and tampons at every school in the city.

With momentum on her side, Tribe turned her attention to the province and earlier this spring, Education Minister Rob Fleming announced that every school in the province would be required to provide free menstrual products in washrooms by the end of this year.

The federal government is now proposing to give workers in federally regulated workplaces access to free feminine hygiene products.

"The intent behind this move is really to, first of all, destigmatize menstruation, and also to make sure there are emergency supplies for people that are menstruating whenever they're at work in federally regulated workplaces,” said Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Patty Hajdu.

The move has drawn broad support from members of most parties in the House of Commons, with the notable exception of Quebec MP Maxime Bernier, who lashed out at the idea on Twitter.

“Our caring and generous government is removing another social inequity by solving the great menstrual products unavailability crisis of the early 21st century,” Bernier tweeted.

Tribe is disappointed by Bernier’s reaction.

"Some people have a punishment mentality around menstruation,” she said. “And they seem to say, look you're a woman, you menstruate, too bad, deal with it, and don't bother me about it."

Federally regulated workplaces include the civil service, RCMP, and the banking, transportation and telecommunications industries, among others.

The federal government said it will hold consultations with employers as it moves forward with the plan to give employees one less thing to worry about.

"Young and old, this is something that happens to all women,” said Tribe. “Leaks and menstrual accidents are very common."

It could take 18 to 24 months before the new regulations are in place.