(Intl.) Strides in the Menstrual Equality Movement
Today’s blog is dedicated to the large strides being made in the menstrual equity movement worldwide. I recently stumbled upon an article published by BBC News entitled, “Period Poverty: Scotland first in the world to make period products free”.
As suggested by the title, as of August 29, 2022, Scotland is officially the first country in the world to make period products free for all. Local authorities now have the legal obligation to provide menstrual products free of cost to anyone who needs them. The act, which is responsible for the availability of free menstrual products, is known as the Period Products Act. This act was introduced by Labour MSP Monica Lennon, an advocate for ending period poverty since 2016.
During an interview published on BBC News, she states, "This is another big milestone for period dignity campaigners and grassroots movements which shows the difference that progressive and bold political choices can make.” The Period Products Act is truly a product of persistent legislative deliberation and a true testament to the advocacy efforts of local organizations and large-scale organizations.
In previous blogs, I have explained what period poverty is and how big of a problem it is in our community. Now, I will mention how big of a difference bills such as the Period Poverty Act can actually make in the daily lives of the people.
Items are freely available at all councils and institutions.
People need not justify the amount of period product is needed.
No information is required for people to access the products.
As part of an overarching approach to destigmatize period poverty, the act states that responsible bodies should acknowledge the importance of normalization.
The Scottish government has already made history by becoming the first government in the world to make period products free for students. Many local restaurants and businesses are providing these products for free to students as a gesture of goodwill rather than requirement.
According to the article, major strides are also being made in the United Kingdom, as the government already has its own period poverty task force. The pinnacle objective of this initiative is to destigmatize periods and provide education pertaining to menstruation.
In the United States, there have been state laws mandating the free availability of period products in schools. A future direction for The Elea Project would be to provide products in local schools in the Atlanta area, which would add an interesting dimension to the project.
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