In a bid to tackle period poverty (the struggle to pay for basic sanitary products on a monthly basis), Scotland has become the first country in the world to offer free and universal menstrual products.
MPs voted unanimously in favour of the legislation, which will place a legal duty on local authorities to make period products available for all those who need them. So what does that mean for the women of Scotland? Basically there is now a legal duty for local authorities such as schools and universities to ensure that period products such as tampons and sanitary pads are available to “anyone who needs them”.
Scotland won’t be the last country to consign period poverty to history – but we are the first. Well done @MonicaLennon7 #perioddignity #worldfirst #periodproducts pic.twitter.com/4Er2vun6HJ
— Scottish Labour (@scottishlabour) November 24, 2020
Research from Plan UK in 2017 found that about 10% of girls in the UK have been unable to afford period products; 15% have struggled to afford them; and 19% have changed to a less suitable product due to cost. Meanwhile, period poverty is believed to have surged during the coronavirus crisis.
Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman, Monica Lennon, has been leading a four-year campaign, in which she argued, “Periods don’t stop for pandemics and the work to improve access to essential tampons, pads and reusables has never been more important.”
Back in August, Dubai-based Zomato announced that all females working at the company will have access to 10 days of ‘period leave’ in a year.
More of this please, world. More of this.