Scotland will become the world’s first country to provide free and universal access to period products on Monday. Local authorities and educators will now be legally required to make period products available to anyone in need, according to a statement issued by the Scottish government on Sunday.
This comes after the historic Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act was passed in 2020, solidifying the Scottish government’s efforts to make sanitary products like tampons and sanitary pads available in public. The Scottish parliament unanimously approved the legislation, which is based on the Period Products in Schools (Scotland) Regulations, in November 2020, requiring councils and schools to provide free products to students.
The bill has gone even further, imposing a legal obligation on ministers to ensure that everyone has access to sanitary products. ‘ Providing access to free period products is fundamental to equality and dignity, and removes the financial barriers to accessing them,’ Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison was quoted as saying by local newspaper The Press and Journal.
‘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, ‘she said. ‘ We are proud to be the first national government in the world to take such action,’ she added.
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