Scotland makes public health history: “First” in the world to make period products legally free

16 Aug 2022 --- The Scottish government has implemented the Period Products Act, making it a legal right to access free period products in the country.

“We are proud to be the first national government in the world to take such action,” Shona Robison, cabinet secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, tells PersonalCareInsights.

“Since 2018, we have delivered ground-breaking action by providing free period products for pupils and students in all our schools, colleges and universities”

This legislation came into force on August 15, implying that “councils and education providers will be legally required to make period products available free of charge to anyone who needs them.”

People in Scotland can access free menstrual care items by finding their nearest collection point through the PickupMyPeriod mobile app, launched earlier this year by social enterprise Hey Girls – with support from the Scottish government. 

Scotland has become the first in the world to enforce a law to provide free menstrual care.A welcome change
Section 1 of the Period Products (Free Provision) Act places a legal duty on the country’s councils to ensure arrangements are in place for different types of period products to be available for “anyone who needs it.”

Meanwhile, Section 2 of the Act places a duty on education providers to make period products obtainable “free of charge on their premises for pupils and students during term time.” 

Section 3 of the Act allows Scottish Ministers to specify public service bodies who have to make period products available to people on their premises free of charge.

The Act also explicitly states that “individuals don’t need a reason to access the products, above and beyond the fact that they menstruate.”

Regarding the work undertaken in Scotland to destigmatize and improve menstrual health, Robison points to the funding for educational websites for employers, anti-stigma campaigns and resources available for schools. 

“Providing access to free period products is fundamental to equality and dignity and removes the financial barriers to accessing them,” she remarks. “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.”

The guidance published under the Act states: “Building on the existing voluntary provision in education and community settings funded by the Scottish government since 2018/19, the Act will ensure that everyone in Scotland who menstruates can have reasonably convenient access to period products, free of charge, as and when they are required. This includes visitors to Scotland for the duration of their stay.”

Leading by example
Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) unanimously approved the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill, introduced by Labor MSP Monica Lennon in November 2020.

“As the cost-of-living crisis takes hold, the Period Products Act is a beacon of hope which shows what can be achieved when politicians come together for the good of the people we serve,” Lennon told BBC.

Laura Coryton, who campaigned against and was instrumental in the scrapping of tampon tax in the UK, tells PersonalCareInsights, that the legislation is “absolutely a monumental step forward for equality, which helps tackle not only period poverty but also period stigma at large.”

The UK abolished the 5% value-added tax (VAT) rate on sanitary products – referred to as tampon tax – at the start of 2021.Period poverty forces some women to choose between basic necessities such as food and period products.

Period poverty
With menstruation being a natural bodily function, the costs of living associated with it should be considered essential. However, as per EU laws, member countries are required to place a non-essential category tax of 5% on tampons and sanitary towels. 

It is estimated that women have to pay upwards of US$8 monthly on sanitary napkins. In low-income households, the cost can quickly add up and lead to choosing between food and period products. 

“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,” Georgie Nicholson of Hey Girls told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland.

Hey Girls, a social enterprise born in 2018 from the personal experience of Celia Hodson and her two daughters, Kate and Bec, is working with the Scottish government to make period products accessible. 

“Through our PickupMyPeriod app, we work to ensure no one in Scotland is left without access to period products and are well on the way to achieving that with more than 1,000 locations highlighted to users,” says Hodson.

In other tampon-related news, the US faced a nationwide tampon and sanitary pad shortage in June. This resulted in price spikes due to supply chain issues for cotton. In a response letter to the crisis, US Senator Maggie Hassan placed pressure on the CEOs at Procter & Gamble, Edgewell Personal Care and Kimberly-Clark – major US tampon manufacturers.

By Radhika Sikaria