Scotland is making menstrual sanitary products free. The country is up and ready to become the world’s first to make sanitary pads and tampons available to women free of cost. This is a huge victory for a global movement that seeks to roll back tampon taxes and declassify sanitary pads and tampons as luxury items.
Many young women cannot afford sanitary products in the UK
According to research studies by Plan International UK, it was found that 15% of girls struggle to purchase sanitary products in the United Kingdom and almost 50% of girls aged 14-21 were even embarrassed by their periods. The research sought to show how there the stigma of periods and poverty were modern-day problems that needed to be addressed.
Scotland has just approved the first stage of the bill that would make period products completely free
The plan for Scotland to make menstrual sanitary products free was sponsored by lawmaker Monica Lennon who introduced the Period Products (Free Provision) Scotland Bill that will make menstrual products freely available in public spaces such as centers, pharmacies, and youth clubs. At present, sanitary products are free in Scottish schools, colleges, and universities since 2018.
The bill to make sanitary products for women free in Scotland passed its first vote and will go to a second phase where legislators can make amendments. Sponsor of the bill Monica Lennon said during a debate that it was a “milestone moment for normalizing menstruation in Scotland and sending out that real signal to people in this country about how seriously parliament takes gender equality,” “These are not luxury items. They are indeed essential and no one in Scotland should have to go without period products,” she said.
The world’s first country to make women’s sanitary products free
The groundbreaking bill will make Scotland the world’s first country to make menstrual hygiene products free. A period of product costs on average 10$ in the UK and many on low income cannot afford this. The bill may set Edinburgh back by $13.2 million a year but then isn’t it worth it?
Some local businesses and pubs have also chipped in for the cause and provide menstruation products free of charge. Today several countries around the world like India, Columbia, Kenya, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, Uganda, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Nigeria, Lebanon, and Trinidad and Tobago have made sanitary napkins tax free but the UK still imposes a 5% tax because if EU rules. However, the money is donated to women’s charities.
As Scotland shows the way, perhaps the rest of the world will follow. Here’s what the internet had to say.
