Scotland’s Pivotal Moment in Providing Free Period Products for All

November 24th, 2020 was a big day for Scotland, as it became the first country in the world to provide free and universal access to period products (pads, tampons, etc) for people who menstruate. The Scottish Parliament passed this prominent legislation, known as The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill, which aims to ensure that all who menstruate can have reasonably, convenient access to these products, free of charge. This creates a legal obligation for the government to guarantee that these sanitary products are available for everyone. 

How many times have you gone to a restroom stall with no pad or tampon, so you’re just left with nothing else to do but use a small roll of toilet paper to line your underwear? This is one of many issues regarding period poverty, which is the inaccessibility and/or inability to obtain basic sanitary products. Unfortunately, this is extremely common and Monica Lennon, the bill’s introducer, aimed to address this exact issue of period poverty in the UK. In Scotland alone, a survey reported that “nearly one in five respondents said that they had to go without period products because of finances, while one in 10 said they had been forced to prioritize other essential household items, such as food, over buying sanitary wear.” 

This is also a concerning issue in the United States. According to this article by Penn Nursing, “currently 35 states view these items as luxury goods and impose sales tax, also known as the “tampon tax,” on menstrual hygiene products.” Why should something someone needs for their period be seen as a “luxury?” This issue affects students, low-income and homeless womxn, as well as transgender and nonbinary individuals. This is an ongoing matter taking place beyond both the U.S. and Scotland. Here’s where you can learn more surrounding the issue of period poverty, as well as the stigma associated with menstruation on a global scale. 

This is a monumental moment for Scotland and hopefully, this impactful change advocates the awareness for other countries, including the U.S. who currently does not have any law that provides free sanitary products nationwide. This is unacceptable and we must continue to demand to have these products accessible and free everywhere because people shouldn’t be financially penalized for a natural bodily function. 

• menstrual products
• period poverty
• periods
• scotland