Scotland just became the first country to provide free menstrual products to students at schools and universities. Spokespeople explained that the new policy is designed to eliminate “period poverty,” a phenomenon that keeps low-income students out of schools and without proper sanitary products when they’re their periods. Indeed, the issue is critical. Plan International UK, a girls’ rights charity, says “thousands of young women across Britain miss school regularly because they cannot afford to buy products for their period, and more than one in ten girls have had to improvise sanitary products—by using old clothes or newspapers, for example.”
Scotland’s decision isn’t just great for Scots, though. It’s already inspiring other world leaders to take action in their own countries. Deirdre Kingston, a spokeswoman on equality for the Labour Party in Ireland, said “the government should seek to follow Scotland’s lead and provide free sanitary products to all schools and colleges.” The initiative has the potential to catalyze real change on a global scale. It’s expanding the conversation we need to reduce the stigma associated with menstruation.
The decision may also prompt policymakers to make menstrual products more accessible by banning the sales tax that accompanies them. Women’s charities continue to fight to eliminate the tax in Britain, but others have found success in states like New York and New Jersey. No matter what, Scotland is setting a precedent—we’re taking a step in the right direction.
