You might not realize it, but “period poverty” is a real thing. A study showed that girls and young women in the United Kingdom have a hard time affording sanitary products and the numbers are pretty staggering: 15% said they struggle to afford them at all, and 19% said they’ve changed over to cheaper products to cut down on costs.
Seems like a sad state of affairs, don’t you think?
That’s why this news is so encouraging. Scotland became the first country in the world to provide free pads and tampons to anyone who needs them in the country.
The hope is that the decision will lead to other countries following suit and that menstrual hygiene will be viewed around the globe as a human right.
The law was introduced by Monica Lennon, who said,
“These are not luxury items.
They are indeed essential and no one in Scotland should have to go without period products.”
Scotland has been paving the way for this important decision for a while now. Two years ago, the country became the first in the world to offer free sanitary products to all students at schools and universities.
Some are hoping the movement takes hold in the United States as well. New York Congresswoman Grace Meng said,
“The fact that there are people who aren’t able to afford these products, and as a result, may miss school, may miss work, face certain stigma — I think it’s a human rights issue that, especially in the United States of America, women should not have to be dealing with.”
As of now, there are only 15 states in the U.S. that offer sanitary products tax-tree. The new law in Scotland assures that these products will be available for free at youth centers, community centers, and pharmacies.
What do you think about this? Would you like to see this happen in your country?
Tell us what you think in the comments!
