Scotland Becomes First Country To Make Pads and Tampons Free For All Women

Scotland makes tampons and pads free for women.

Scotland goes beyond abolishing the ‘Period Tax.’

Scotland is showing the world what it is to make being a woman normal.

The country has become the first in the world make period sanitary products like pads and tampons free to anyone who wants and needs them.

Lawmaker Monica Lennon sponsored the legislation. She stood on the floor of the Scottish Parliament declaring, “Menstruation is normal. Free access to tampons, pads and reusable options should be normal, too.”

She also pointed out that “Period dignity for all isn’t radical or extreme. It’s simply the right thing to do.”

‘Period dignity for all isn’t radical or extreme. It’s simply the right thing to do.’
-MOnica Lennon, Scottish lawmaker

The bill passed with a unanimous vote.

Scottish women are rightly showing their pride.

Plan International UK says One in 10 girls in the United Kingdom have been unable to afford period products,

The survey also found that nearly half of all girls aged 14 to 21 are embarrassed by their periods, while about half had missed an entire day of school because of them.

What do you mean?

" We live in a country where period products are free, and inclusive education is the norm"

Aye, that's us, it's our Scotland ❤️✊? pic.twitter.com/uPWZMGeDMN
— Victoria Heaney (@Vvfabs) November 25, 2020

Meanwhile, Newsweek points out that here in the US, there still are many campaigns simply to get taxes removed from female sanitary products.

Over the last decade, New York, Florida, Nevada, Connecticut and Illinois have eliminated the tax, while bills aimed at repealing the tax have been introduced in dozens of states—however the majority were not signed into law.

Then there are awesome people like Claire Coder who created AuntFlow. They developed the first free-vend tampon and pad dispenser to support organizations in sustainably offer menstrual products in bathrooms. They are now in bathrooms of Google / Viacom / Twitter / Princeton University and so many more.

Here’s to everyone working on the menstrual movement.

Photo Credit: Above photo by Annika Gordon, Unsplash.com