Scotland Tackles Menstrual Poverty

Scotland Tackles Menstrual Poverty

Makes law to provide free Period Products to all women

Scotland has become the first country in the world to make sanitary products free to all women, which official say is a move against “period poverty” in the country.

The Period Products in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020, which came into force on 19 October 2020, places legal duty on local authorities to make period products available for all those who need them.

In these Regulations, “period products” means products the purpose of which is to absorb or collect menstrual flow and includes tampons, sanitary towels and products, which are reusable.

This means that tampons and sanitary pads should be made available at designated public places such as community centres, youth clubs, and pharmacies.

First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon called it “an important policy for women and girls. 

Writing on her twitter handle, Sturgeon said, “Proud to vote for this groundbreaking legislation, making Scotland the first country in the world to provide free period products for all who need them”.

The proposer of the bill, which laid before the Scottish parliament on June 22, 2020 is Scottish Labour Member of Parliament, Monica Lennon.

During the debate, Lennon said, “no one should have to worry about where the next tampon, pad or reusable is coming from.

“Scotland will not be the last country to consign period poverty to history, but we have the chance to be the first”.

The new regulations require education authorities to make period products available to pupils who need to use them who are in attendance at a public school, and accommodated at a hostel provided and maintained by them.

That Managers of grant-aided schools are required to make period products available to pupils who need to use them who are in attendance at such schools.

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