Scotland becomes the first country to make access to free period products a legal right

To combat “period poverty,” Scotland has become the first nation in the world to secure the right to free period goods through legislation. Following the passage of the Period Products Act 2021, local governments and educational institutions in Scotland are now required by law to offer free period products to anybody in need.

The Scottish Government stated that the new law “will cement this progress” after spending more than £27 million (€32 million) to finance access to period products in various public contexts. Monica Lennon, a Labour Party member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) who advocated for the legislation, expressed her pride in having helped to establish the new law.

The PickupMyPeriod smartphone app, which was introduced earlier this year by social enterprise Hey Girls with assistance from the Scottish Government, allows users to locate their nearest collection site to obtain these period products. Scotland became the first nation to offer free sanitary goods at universities, institutions, and schools in 2018.

Source: EuroNews