Scotland becomes first country in the world to make sanitary products free

Members of the Scottish Parliament unanimously passed The Period Products (Free Provision)(Scotland) Act which makes it legally mandatory for all public institutions to provide period products, including tampons and pads to all those who need them.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

The bill is titled, “Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill” and was passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament on November 24, making Scotland the first country to take such a step.

The bill was passed with the aim of tackling “period poverty”, which is when some people who need period products struggle to afford them.

One of its central objectives is to “end the silence and stigma” that surrounds menstruation and also aims to remove “gendered barriers”. The bill aims to ensure that those who menstruate have “reasonably convenient” access to period products free of charge.

Certain circumstances make access to sanitary products difficult for women and trans people. These include homelessness, coercive, controlling and violent relationships and health conditions such as endometriosis.