26 November 2020 - Scotland makes period products free
Scotland becomes first nation to provide free period products for all
Libby Brooks (The Guardian, 24/11/2020)
Scotland has become the first country in the world to provide free and universal access to period products after a four-year campaign that has fundamentally shifted the public discourse around menstruation.
The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act, which passed unanimously through its final stage on Tuesday evening, will place a legal duty on local authorities to make period products available for all those who need them, building on the work of councils like North Ayrshire, which has been providing free tampons and sanitary towels in its public buildings since 2018.
The campaign – bolstered by nationwide grassroots support – was spearheaded by Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman, Monica Lennon, who told the Guardian this was “a proud day for Scotland”.
The campaign to end period poverty in Scotland sets a fine example - I hope the UK follows their lead
Ayesha Hazarika (The Evening Standard, 25/11/2020)
For most women, a period drama doesn’t involve bodices, a cad and some gentle Sunday night viewing, it’s a painful, bewildering and often shameful memory of that moment when you bled but didn’t have any sanitary products. Every woman has a story. But imagine that wasn’t just a one-off nightmare but a regular occurrence? Well, sadly for many women and girls, the most basic sanitary protection is a luxury which they or their families just cannot afford, and they have to make do with tissue, socks and even newspaper. As well as cost, there is still also a lack of education and stigma around periods – big thumbs down to the new Borat movie btw.
Scotland Will Be The First Country To Make Period Products Free
Elana Lyn Gross (Forbes, 24/11/2020)
Nearly one-third of women in the U.K. aged 14 to 21 have had difficulties affording or accessing period products during coronavirus-related lockdowns, according to a May survey by the international children’s charity Plan International UK. The U.K. made period products free in all schools starting last year, but the impact of that move has been diminished with schools closed. The survey found one in five women reported difficulty getting period products for reasons other than cost, including not finding them in stores or being unable to leave home during lockdown.
Scotland becomes first nation in world to provide free period products
Lauren Chadwick (Euronews, 25/11/2020)
Scotland became the first nation in the world to make menstruation products such as tampons and pads free for those who cannot afford them.
Members of the Scottish parliament unanimously passed legislation on Tuesday that forces the government to set up a scheme to provide the products and impose the requirement on other public institutions.
The law also says that schools, colleges and universities must make a range of period products available in their toilets for free. The Scottish government had already provided access in schools through funding from 2018.