The new law means period products will be accessible in public buildings such as schools and universities across Scotland. It is the responsibility of local authorities and education providers to ensure that products are available free of charge.
The law was the brainchild of Scottish Labor lawmaker Monica Lennon, who introduced the law in April 2019.
“Proud of what we have achieved in Scotland” lennon wrote on Twitter on Monday. “We are the first, but not the last.”
In a document supporting the legislation, Lennon said it was reasonable to expect that 20% of the menstruating population would use the scheme, given official inequality statistics show that almost 20% of women in Scotland live in relative poverty.
The law is one of a number of programs to combat period poverty in Scotland, which has certain powers from the UK government.
In 2018, the Scottish Government announced that a £5.2 million (US$6.3 million) investment would give pupils in schools, colleges and universities across the country free access to hygiene products. In 2019, she committed a further £4 million (US$4.85 million) to make period products available free of charge in libraries and leisure centres.
One in ten girls in the UK as a whole According to a 2017 survey by Plan International UK, 14-21 year olds said they couldn’t afford period products. The survey also found that nearly half were embarrassed by their periods and about half had missed a full day of school.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the new law on Twitter and called for more action from the UK government.
“A monumental day for #PeriodDignity. Thank you to the many activists, unionists and @MonicaLennon7 who made this a reality,” said Khan tweeted. “Now is the time for the UK government to follow suit and end period poverty.”
In January 2021, the UK eliminated the 5% VAT rate on menstrual products. And in 2019 England launched an initiative to provide free toiletries in schools.
Globally, only a handful of countries have not levied taxes on personal hygiene items, including Canada, India, Australia, Kenya and several US states.
Last year, Germany voted to lower its tax rate on feminine hygiene products after considering them a daily necessity rather than a luxury.