Scotland is the first country to make menstruation products free

Article by Ananya Nayar, Website edited by Misaki Tomiyama

Scottish politicians have approved a law to make menstruation products like sanitary pads and tampons free of charge. Many people have been demanding for sanitary products to be free for decades to stop period poverty, the primary saying during the pandemic being ‘if masks are free in most countries, why aren’t tampons?’

Period poverty is when those with low income can’t afford basic sanitary requirements that are sanitary pads and tampons. The cost of the goods can come up to $8 per month, which is often too expensive. Research showed that 44% of people in England were affected by the high cost of the pads.The budget they have set aside for the new scheme is $8 million.