Scotland is now the first country in the world to offer free period products to “anyone who needs them.”
The country began its war on period poverty in 2018 when it made period products free for students. The new Period Products Act expands that to one and all.
In a world where period products are frequently taxed higher as “non-essential” products, where some people have to decide between buying bread or buying tampons, this is a move in the right direction.
“We hear of a lot of mothers going without their period protection just so they can feed their children and using things such as newspaper stuffed into socks or bread… because they’re cheaper than period products,” said Georgie Nicholson of the social enterprise Hey Girls.
The ability to stop something you have no choice about from leaking everywhere is definitely essential. Let’s hope this becomes a trend. More free period products!
