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Scotland’s Lesson Against Menstrual Poverty

2 years ago babelfish

Scotland's Lesson Against Menstrual Poverty

In Scotland, a law has entered into force that makes sanitary pads free for "anyone who needs them", a measure that aims to combat menstrual poverty and put an end to the social stigma linked to menstruation

A legislative process that began in 2016 and ended on August 15, but Scotland eventually became the first country in the world to make menstrual products free for anyone in need. The bill was presented by Labor MP Monica Lennon, who has been fighting for years to end menstrual poverty.

WHAT THE PERIOD PRODUCTS ACT PROVIDES

Under the bill, visible on the Scottish Parliament website , the government must establish a nationwide program to allow anyone who needs menstrual products to get them for free.

Schools, colleges and universities must also make them available in their own toilets and the Scottish Government will have the power to oblige other public bodies to provide them.

The Period Products Act, which went into effect on August 15, states that getting free menstrual products doesn't have to be "complex or bureaucratic" and people don't have to justify why they need them or how much they need.

To facilitate this, an app has also been developed that helps people find the closest place to pick them up.

MENSTRUAL POVERTY

Fighting "menstrual poverty" that prevents too many people from having access to menstrual products because they struggle to buy them is the goal of Lennon's bill, according to which it is a question of dignity because they are indispensable products.

If your period lasts an average of five days, Bbc calculates, buying tampons or tampons can cost up to £ 8 a month.

As Georgie Nicholson of the Hey Girls association said “there is a very simple way to describe menstrual poverty: you go to the supermarket and you have to choose whether to buy a packet of pasta or a box of pads. It's an elementary thing ”.

“We know of many mothers who give up menstrual products just to feed their children and who use things like socks filled with newspaper or bread… because they are cheaper,” she added.

A REAL PROBLEM

In 2018, a survey conducted by Young Scot of over 2,000 people and cited by the BBC found that around one in four respondents at school, college or university in Scotland had difficulty accessing menstruation products.

By the same year, the Scottish government had already distinguished itself by becoming the first in the world to make products free to students.

A MATTER OF EDUCATION

But in addition to menstrual poverty, the Period Products Act also intends to address the stigmatization of the menstrual cycle, which in 2022 – unbelievable but true – is still a taboo subject.

According to another research by Young Scot, in fact, most of the young girls surveyed say they feel embarrassed when buying menstruation products and a UK survey found that 64% of respondents skipped school because of Menses.

An impact on social and working life is not negligible given that 13% missed a whole day of school at least once a month, 34% were worried about the losses and 22% suffered from anxiety related to menstruation.

This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/la-lezione-della-scozia-contro-la-poverta-mestruale/ on Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:33:59 +0000.