Politics
Scotland Takes Aim at ‘Period Poverty’ by Making Products Free
The first law of its kind in the world makes access to menstrual products a right.
Campaigners and activists rally outside the Scottish Parliament in support of the Period Products Bill on Feb. 25, 2020 in Edinburgh.
Photographer: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
On Nov. 24, Scotland became the first country in the world to establish through legislation that access to period products is a right, a move that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described as groundbreaking. It caps a four-year campaign backed by a wide coalition of trade unions, women’s groups, and charities and led by Monica Lennon, a member of the Scottish Parliament.
The aim, Lennon says, is to eradicate “period poverty”—the cost of the products can be prohibitive—and end the stigma around menstruation.