Tampons for all: the free sanitary item for women is now available in Scotland
It could be that simple. Scotland claims to be the first country in the world to have such a law.
Source: Martin Schutt/dpa
London. When asked by a reporter, Hey Girls activist Georgie Nicholson says, “Periods are a very simplistic way of describing poverty.” , She describes the fact that Scotland is providing free sanitary products to women as a historic step. “It makes a huge difference to the well-being of so many people.”
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Scotland in the north of the UK provides menstrual products such as tampons and pads for free and publicly to anyone. Municipal facilities, schools and universities must provide hygiene items for women – so governs the new law that came into effect this week. “We are proud to be the first national government in the world to take this step,” said Shona Robison, Secretary of State for Social Justice in Scotland.
A quarter stay away from university or school because of poverty
How this is implemented can currently be seen in the public offices of Edinburgh, the second largest city in Scotland. Here, tampons and sanitary napkins are displayed on mini shelves specially installed for this purpose, and one can easily access them. The PickupMyPeriod app, which has been available since January this year, provides additional support. Based on the current location of the user, it locates the nearest available location where hygiene items are available free of cost.
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In fact, most people in the UK cannot afford pads and tampons. Eventually, they cost a woman £8 a month, about 9.50 euros. A survey by Action Aid UK found that 12 per cent of Britons are currently struggling to afford menstrual products. As a result, more than a quarter of young women and girls dropped out of school or university. According to data from aid organisations, the demand for hygiene items at the country’s food banks increased by 150 per cent between May and June this year.
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“It’s about bloody time!”, in other words, “It’s about bloody time.”
Source: Andrew Milligan / dpa
Britain ends ‘tampon tax’
brought in revolutionary bill became by Scottish Labor MP Monica Lennon, who has campaigned to end period poverty since 2016. “It shows what can be achieved when politicians unite for the common good,” he said. The law gives hope, especially given the current cost of living crisis. The availability of sanitary items for women has been made mandatory in educational institutions in Scotland since last one year.
Pads and tampons are not freely available across Scotland, but at the beginning of last year, they were “Tampon Tax” in Great Britain Eliminated menstrual products like pads. This was made possible by the country’s exit from the European Union. Because the minimum tax rate on hygiene items is 5 percent. However, reusable items such as period pants would still be subject to VAT as they are classified as clothing.
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