On the evening of November 24, the Scottish Parliament passed a bill to approve the provision of free menstrual hygiene products in designated public places.
Under the Scottish (free of charge) menstrual supplies act, women’s menstrual products such as tampons and wipes will be provided free of charge in designated public places such as community centres, youth clubs and pharmacies across Scotland. The Scottish government is expected to spend 24 million pounds (210 million yuan) a year, Reuters reported.
“We all don’t think people (women) should worry about where to find the next tampon,” sponsor Monica Lennon said before the vote
Nicola sturgeon, chief minister of the Scottish government, tweeted on social platform that the bill was “significant” for women and “I’m proud to vote for this groundbreaking bill.”.
Scotland began to provide free menstrual hygiene products to girls in universities and secondary schools in 2018.
According to a 2017 survey by plan international, a children’s charity, about 10% of British girls can’t afford to buy menstrual hygiene supplies and many are unable to go to school.
British women spend 13 pounds (114 yuan) a month on menstrual products and spend thousands of pounds on their lifetime, the Guardian reported, citing charitable organizations. This year, the number of women who could not afford to buy menstrual products increased significantly during the new epidemic. According to a previous survey by the grassroots group “independent women” in Scotland, nearly 20% women in the UK could not afford menstrual products, and their personal health and health were seriously negatively affected.
Post time: Nov-30-2020