Scotland: The First Country in the World to Make Period Products Free for All

Scotland just became the first country in the world to provide free period products for all who need them as the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill, a bill that tackles “period poverty”, has been recently passed unanimously by the Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).

The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill has been passed unanimously by MSPs this evening.

Find out more about what the Bill sets out to change: https://t.co/pdkiesJxGG pic.twitter.com/Pfz2TqJIP7

— Scottish Parliament (@ScotParl) November 24, 2020

Period poverty, as they call it, is when some people who need period products struggle to afford them. Based on the details provided by the Scottish Parliament on the overview of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill, the Scottish Government must set up a Scotland-wide scheme to allow anyone who needs period products to get them free of charge. Furthermore, the government will as well have the power to make other public bodies provide period products for free.

Monica Lennon, a period dignity campaigner and the MSP for Central Scotland who introduced the bill, sees period products as a basic necessity. She also believes that providing access to them is important for people’s dignity. Thus, on a Tweet published today (Wednesday), November 25, 2020, she stated, “A proud day for Scotland and a signal to the world that free universal access to period products can be achieved.”

Thank you to everyone who has campaigned for period dignity and to my MSP colleagues for backing the Bill tonight.

A proud day for Scotland and a signal to the world that free universal access to period products can be achieved. #freeperiodproducts 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 https://t.co/NC3e97jPuQ

— Monica Lennon (@MonicaLennon7) November 24, 2020

Moreover, also in a Tweet published today, the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has expressed how proud she was to have voted for the “groundbreaking legislation.” According to the First Minister, it’s “An important policy for women and girls.”

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Source: The Scottish Parliament, Scottish Parliament| Official Twitter, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon| Official Twitter, Monica Lennon| Official twitter