Period poverty campaigners urge government to extend access to free products across the UK

The Period Product Act makes products freely available to everyone in Scotland

Campaign groups have hailed the introduction of new legislation in Scotland which will give people in the country access to free period products.

The Period Product Act, which comes into effect on Monday (15 August), legally requires councils and education providers to make period products freely available to anyone who needs them.

The change in law comes after a bill, which was first proposed by Labour MSP Monica Lennon, was unanimously approved by the Scottish Parliament in 2020.

According to a 2017 survey by Plan International UK, one in 10 girls are unable to afford sanitary products, one in seven had to borrow products from a friend due, and one in 10 had to improvise santiary wear.

Bloody Good Period, a charity that provides sustainable period products to those who can’t afford them, described the legislation as a “huge day for menstrual equity”.

“As the #CostOfLivingCrisis hits harder, this is such an essential step to ensuring that no one has to make a difficult decision between food, heating and period products,” a statement to The Independent said.

“However, this is not just a poverty-related issue. This is a fantastic step by Scotland to meet the needs of everyone within society, and show that the needs of women, and people who menstruate, matter!

“Scotland has gone above and beyond, in comparison to the government in England whose commitment to ending the period of poverty and shame by 2025 has had little action – including a pause on the £250,000 it ringfenced to deliver this commitment.

“We’re excited to see the impact of the program on the lives of everyone in Scotland, not just those who menstruate.”

Westminster announced it had dedicated a funding pot of £250,000 to kickstart work to tackle period poverty in 2019, but the work of the Period Poverty Taskforce was paused in March 2020 to free up resources to focus on the pandemic.

Freedom4girls, a charity campaigning against period poverty, issued a similar statement, telling The Independent it hopes that the UK government will follow suit and reactivate its taskforce.

“Freedom4girls are delighted and it’s a massive step forward in the fight to support the end of suffering the indignity and shame period poverty brings,” a spokesperson said of the Scottish law.

“People are having to make difficult choices because of the cost of living crisis . This bill will elevate some of those issues although there is a still a big issue around stigma and taboo. Well done Scotland.”