Of all the trends that this year has seen, Scotland will hopefully set the biggest and most impactful – free period products for anyone who needs them.
It’s something of an unwritten rule in feminine code that if someone needs a tampon or pad, you won’t think twice to give them one and if you can’t, you’ll certainly embark on a mission to help them find what they need. Scotland has now taken this notion and amplified it on a national scale, and the feminine code definitely approves.
The country is challenging period poverty by making those all-important items (tampons and sanitary pads) freely available as part of the Period Products Act that’s recently come into effect in the country.
The legislation was initially approved back in 2020 forming part of Labour MSP Monica Lennon’s campaign that’s been fighting period poverty since 2016. This week will see the Act’s impact in full swing all over the country – from youth clubs to pharmacies and community centres.
Lennon proudly shared the news, adding that “We are the first but won’t be the last.”
Why is it such a big deal?
To understand why it matters, it’s important to know a thing or two about what period poverty actually is.
Period poverty is understood as the lack of access to sanitary products and hygiene facilities to manage menstruation.
Global Citizen noted that in recent years, 3.7 million girls were unable to access menstrual hygiene products. In South Africa, “the profile of a subjectively-poor household in South Africa is one typically headed by a black African female who is younger than 35, residing in a rural area that is located in a rural-based province and who has lower levels of education,” as StatsSA shares. Period Poverty affects 7 million girls in our country.
Imagine a world where our women had one less thing to worry about saving for? Scotland’s making it a reality, and it’s time South Africa took a few notes.
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