Scotland became First Country to Make Sanitary Products Free
Scotland has made sanitary products free to all women on November 24, 2020. By doing so, the Scotland has become the first nation in the world to tackle the problem of “period poverty”. The Scotland government has passed the Period Products (Free Provision) Scotland Bill, 2020 to make the products free.
The Period Products (Free Provision) Scotland Bill
- Period Products (Free Provision) Scotland Bill was passed as “an important policy for women and girls”.
- The bill had made tampons and sanitary pads available at designated public places including the community centres, youth clubs and pharmacies, at an estimated annual cost of 24 million pounds.
Highlights
- With the passing of the bill, No one need to worry about from where their next tampon, pad or reusable is coming.
- Earlier , In 2018, Scotland had became the first country in the world to provide free sanitary products in schools, colleges and universities.
Why this measure have been taken?
As per a survey done by the Children’s Charity Plan International in 2017, around 10 percent of girls in the United Kingdom (UK) had been unable to afford the sanitary products. The survey had also reported that, the girls were skipping the classes as a consequence.
Background
The Sanitary products in the United Kingdom have been taxed at 5 percent. This levy have been set in accordance with the European Union (EU) rules. The EU rules set tax rates on certain products. Since, UK has left the EU, the Finance Minister of Britain has now come up with the legislation to abolish the “tampon tax”. The tax would be abolished in January 2021.