This Monday comes into force Law of Products for the Rule which foresees the total free feminine hygiene products for Scottish citizenship.
Municipalities and educational institutions will be in charge of distributing the products of feminine hygiene upon request and must be available by law.
The law was unanimously approved in November 2020 at the proposal of Labor Party MP Monica Lennon following a campaign against ‘rule poverty’. “I am proud to have pushed for the Products for Periods Act, which is already bringing about positive change in Scotland and around the world,” she told Scottish public television STV.
“The municipal authorities and participating organizations have worked hard to make the right to free access to the products of the rule a reality“, has added.
For Lennon, it supposes “another great milestone for activists for the dignity of the rule (…) which shows that things can be achieved with progressive and courageous options”.
For the Social Justice adviser of the Scottish government, Shona Robinson, the measure is more important now in the face of the crisis of rising prices. “Free access is essential for equality and dignity. This eliminates barriers to access”, he argued. “We are proud to be the first national government in the world to adopt this measure”, he stressed.
Scottish Home Rule Government has spent more than 27 million pounds (about 32 million euros) since 2017 to finance feminine hygiene products.