Scotland Makes Period Products Free for All
The first country in the world to make the change.
Scotland has just become the first country in the world to offer period products for free, as a result of the new Period Products Act. Coming into effect on August 15, the act will enlist councils and education providers to offer period products free of charge for anyone that needs them.
“Providing access to free period products is fundamental to equality and dignity, and removes the financial barriers to accessing them,” says Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary, Shona Robson in a statement. “This is more important than ever at a time when people are making difficult choices due to the cost of living crisis and we never want anyone to be in a position where they cannot access period products.”
Robson continues, “Since 2018, we have delivered ground-breaking action by providing free period products for pupils and students in all our schools, colleges and universities. We are proud to be the first national government in the world to take such action. The work we are doing in Scotland continues to be world-leading, going goes beyond the provision of free products. We have also provided funding for an educational website for employers, run a successful anti-stigma campaign, and improved menstrual health resources available for schools. I’m grateful to all the young women and girls who have been crucial in developing the best ways to access products to meet their needs.”
Products will be available through the PickupMyPeriod app, launched earlier this year by social enterprise Hey Girls, with support from the Scottish government. Celia Hodson, founder of Hey Girls says “The Period Product Act shows Scotland is leading the way in recognising that period products are not a luxury and should be freely available to all. Through our PickupMyPeriod app, we work to ensure no one in Scotland is left without access to period products and are well on the way to achieving that with more than 1,000 locations highlighted to users. We hope the Act will help those in need and that our app will be of support to many more as our network continues to grow.”
In other menstruation-related news, check out the latest collaboration from DAME and Finisterre.
