Scotland Becomes The First Nation To Make Sanitary Products Like Pads And Tampons Free
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On Tuesday, Scotland became the first country to pass a bill that makes sanitary products free for all those who are menstruating. It’s no secret that menstruation is still considered a taboo topic to discuss and that a lot of sanitary products are quite expensive and hard to come by. Although Scotland is considered a first world country, there are many menstruating individuals there who are unable to purchase sanitary pads. People who are homeless or impoverished have a very hard time buying pads. So here’s how the new bill was spearheaded by the forward-thinking parliament women and how women took charge of their own bodies:
“An Important Policy”
It is important to address that not all those who menstruate, identify as women and thus the language around the topic of menstruation needs to change to be more inclusive. There are many non-binary, trans folks and other individuals who also menstruate but don’t necessarily identify as female. While many of the officials who made this decision used the term “women”, it should be noted that anybody who menstruates will have access to these products. According to the bill, sanitary pads and tampons will now be available for free at youth clubs, pharmacies, and community centers. As per a source from news organization Reuters, the estimated annual amount of money that taxpayers will be paying towards this is 24 million pounds (1).
In 2018, Scotland already made history when they became the first country in the world to provide free sanitary napkins and tampons to those attending university and schools. According to one of the women who proposed the bill in the Parliament, Scottish Labor Party MP Monica Lennon, “No one should have to worry about where their next tampon, pad, or reusable is coming from. Scotland will not be the last country to consign period poverty to history, but we have the chance to be the first.” The bill was passed unanimously and nobody tried to oppose or contest against it within the Parliament. The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon had spoken up about how this was an essential policy for the rights of women and girls across Scotland. It’s incredible to see Scotland become the first nation in history to take into account the fact that so many individuals from lower economic backgrounds might not necessarily have the means to purchase their own sanitary products.
Why This Is Important?
This is a refreshing change as the reproductive rights of menstruating individuals, specifically cis-gendered women have always been up in the air and in many parts of the world, reproductive decisions are taken by men in power instead. When it comes to reproductive rights, we simply have to recount the words of Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel Green and say “No uterus. No opinion”. It’s also important to address how this ruling is useful for even those who can afford to purchase sanitary products and manage their menstrual cycle. A lot of us can relate to that feeling of being outside at a public space and suddenly getting our cycles. If you’re someone who has irregular periods you can definitely relate to that moment where you are caught in a public space and cannot find access to sanitary products. There are times when you might be at a movie theater right in the middle of a movie and you get your period. What do women do in this scenario except for using toilet paper to create a makeshift pad?
The harsh reality is that all around the world, people still talk about their periods in a hushed manner. We often feel embarrassed to have to go and whisper to our female colleagues and ask them for a pad or tampon. But why should we? Menstruation is a natural process and at least 26% of the global population of women are of reproductive age. So why should this be taboo? Why should we whisper (pun intended) to our daughters in a hushed tone when they reach their menstrual age? According to UNICEF, if you take into account the average menstruation cycle of a person with a uterus, it takes up about 5 to 7 days of their month. Poor menstrual hygiene has been associated with tonnes of issues like urinary tract infections and other reproductive issues. There are so many menstruating individuals who still use old fashioned rags to manage their menstruation simply because that’s how their mothers and grandmothers did it (2).
A Brighter Future
It is also important to address the elephant in the room. What impact will disposable sanitary products have on our environment in the coming years? The harsh reality is that landfills are filled to the brim with used sanitary products and can take upto 500 years to decompose. While we cannot force anybody to switch to using reusable sanitary products, it’s important to talk about the other alternatives that menstruating people can have access to. There are tonnes of brands in the market that offer biodegradable alternatives such as cotton-based sanitary pads (3).
Lately more and more women have been making the wise choice to switch to reusable menstrual products like menstrual cups, reusable sanitary pads and other alternatives. While the concept might seem a little too gung ho for people, it is a necessity at this point. With climate change getting closer and closer and global warming killing natural ecosystems, the smarter and more economical option is to make the switch to reusables. However, for now we should just be content with the fact that more and more people are starting to acknowledge this.
It is essential that people learn and start accepting that menstruation is a normal factor of life and that we need to start including men in the conversation. There might be a time in life when a man has to be there for his menstruating child and explain to her the process behind it. There might be a time a man needs to help his girlfriend out by making an emergency run to the pharmacy to pick up a box of tampons for her. So let’s stop hiding this behind closed doors and speaking about it openly? Do let us know your thoughts on this article in the comment section below.
