Scotland leads the world in tackling 'period poverty'

The Scotsman writes that today Scotland will become to first country in the world to provide free sanitary products to low income girls and women, with the launch of a Scottish Government pilot project. The initiative will see products distributed to three secondary schools, a further education college, and a range of organisations including Women’s Aid and Homestart. The results will be used to inform future policies on tackling the issue across Scotland.

Teaching unions, such as the Educational Institute of Scotland, have said that pupils and students have been forced to miss school and college as a result of not being able to afford sanitary items. The issue has been highlighted by the film ‘I, Daniel Blake’, as well as the charity Freedom4Girls.

Monica Lennon MSP, Shadow Minister for Inequality, has led the campaign to end ‘period poverty’ in Scotland, and her member’s bill proposal on supplying all women in Scotland with free sanitary products will soon be launched for consultation. 

She said: “A pilot scheme is a welcome step in the right direction, but we must go much further to help women and girls across the country who are facing a monthly struggle to access the products they need. We need to end period poverty and improve access to sanitary products right across Scotland and that’s why I will soon be launching a consultation on a Members’ Bill proposal which will give all women in Scotland the right to access these products for free, regardless of their income.”

Dr Marsha Scott, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, added: “Scottish Women’s Aid welcomes this pilot, and we are keen to see results that help identify good strategies for reducing stigma related to menstruation and other aspects of women’s reproductive health. Stigma and poverty are two very powerful tools in the hands of domestic abuse perpetrators, helping them to isolate and control women and girls.”

The full article can be read on The Scotsman website.