Legal right to access free period products in Scotland
Scotland is to become the first country in the world to protect in law the right to access free period products.
Councils and education providers will be legally required to make period products available free of charge to anyone who needs them when the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act comes into force tomorrow (Monday 15 August).
Since 2017, the Scottish Government has invested more than £27 million to fund access in a range of public settings and the new law will cement this progress.
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “Providing access to free period products is fundamental to equality and dignity, and removes the financial barriers to accessing them.
“This is more important than ever at a time when people are making difficult choices due to the cost of living crisis and we never want anyone to be in a position where they cannot access period products.
“Since 2018, we have delivered ground-breaking action by providing free period products for pupils and students in all our schools, colleges and universities. We are proud to be the first national government in the world to take such action.
“The work we are doing in Scotland continues to be world leading, going goes beyond provision of free products. We have also provided funding for an educational website for employers, run a successful anti-stigma campaign, and improved menstrual health resources available for schools.
“I’m grateful to all the young women and girls who have been crucial in developing the best ways to access products to meet their needs.”
People can find their nearest collection point through the PickupMyPeriod mobile app which was launched earlier this year by social enterprise Hey Girls with Scottish Government support.
Celia Hodson, founder of Hey Girls, said: “The Period Product Act shows Scotland is leading the way in recognising that period products are not a luxury and should be freely available to all.
“Through our PickupMyPeriod app, we work to ensure no-one in Scotland is left without access to period products and are well on the way to achieving that with more than 1,000 locations highlighted to users.
“We hope the Act will help those in need and that our app will be of support to many more as our network continues to grow.”
PickupMyPeriod connects to hundreds of venues across Scotland
A mobile app has been launched to allow users to identify locations across Scotland where period products can be accessed for free.
The PickupMyPeriod app currently links to over 700 venues in many communities where free products are available – and the number is expected to grow where further local authorities join the app.
Scotland was the first country in the world to make period products widely available for free – firstly in schools, colleges and universities, then followed by wider access in communities. The PickupMyPeriod app builds on this world-leading work.
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison launched the app virtually with pupils from St Paul’s High School in Glasgow, where the council has worked closely with students in the delivery of free period products since the policy was introduced.
Ms Robison said: “The app is a fantastic tool that will help everyone who wants to access free period products for themselves, a family member or friend to easily find them in many places across Scotland.
“I’m thankful for the support of local authorities in the implementation of access to free period products in Scotland. Young women and girls have been crucial in developing the best ways to access products to meet their needs and I’m grateful to them for sharing their views.”
COSLA President, Councillor Alison Evison, added: “Having recognised the impact lack of access to period products may have on individuals, Local Government has a longstanding commitment to provide free products both in education and community settings for those who may need them.
“As we look towards the implementation of the Period Products Act, I am delighted that work undertaken on period dignity both locally and nationally continues to progress and welcome the launch of the new app as a tool which can support this.”
Celia Hodson, Founder & CEO of Hey Girls and My Period, said: “This is a ground-breaking project for Scotland. For the first time, people across the country will be able to use an app to find and access free period products that they can walk or drive to easily.
“As a Scottish-based social enterprise whose core goal is to help eradicate period poverty, it was great to have our app idea adopted, part-funded and supported by the Scottish Government.
“PickupMyPeriod will act as a fantastic tool to raise awareness of period poverty and equality, as well as providing support to people who need a little extra support across Scotland.”
Edinburgh Leisure has joined forces with award winning Scottish community interest company and social enterprise, Hey Girls to provide free period products to customers.
A range of sustainable products including tampons (both digital and applicator types) and period pads are now available across all Edinburgh Leisure sites. The period products are in changing and toilet areas, as appropriate, for customers to help themselves as required.
Wendy Avinou, Leisure Manager and lead for this project said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Hey Girls whose mission is to eradicate period poverty in the UK by providing quality period products in our venues to everyone who needs them.
“Edinburgh Leisure is a charity on a mission to help people lead healthier, happier, more active lives and anything we can do to eradicate people’s barriers to this, including period poverty, we are only too delighted to get involved with. Free period products can encourage participation in sport and support good health.
“Our Active Communities programme harnesses the power of physical activity and sport to tackle inequalities and combat the effects of inactivity. Each year we support around 10,000 people affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities, and poverty to get active – empowering them to improve and protect their health, wellbeing, and quality of life.”
According to the Joseph Rountree Foundation UK Poverty Report 2020/21, 14.5 million people in the UK are caught up in poverty, equating to more than one in five people. The fact that period poverty still affects people in the UK in 2021 shocks many people.
Plan International UK research found that period poverty affects 1 in 10 people across the UK. In Scotland, the number is thought to be closer to 1 in 4.
More research is needed to understand exactly what is happening, but period poverty is a real problem for many people.
Period products are a necessity, but they are expensive. Tight budgets can leave people forced to prioritise other purchases, leaving them without the right period products, without enough period products, or without any period products at all.
Campaigns to address period poverty have gained momentum, and UK governments are now stepping in to help solve the problem. Last year Scotland became the first country in the world to make period products free for all.
The City of Edinburgh Council have been responsible for implementing the legislation within the capital on behalf of the Scottish Government and have enabled the partnership with Edinburgh Leisure.
Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’re delighted that Edinburgh Leisure is one of the first of our partners to roll out free period products for all as this should be a basic right.
“We’re committed to achieving this goal as we showed last year when they were made available in community centres, libraries, schools and early years centres and we’re hoping to make them more widely available in a range of venues in 2022.
“We would urge everyone to look out for, and take part in, our public consultation for the Scottish Parliament bill on the roll out of the free period products next year.”
https://youtu.be/YDf1rnSK-dQ
Celia Hodson, CEO & Founder of Hey Girls, added: “Increasing access to period products is really important. Free products can improve concentration, encourage participation in sport and support good health.
“They prevent people having to make dehumanising choices – to wear the wrong product, or a worse quality product or to wear a product for longer than is hygienic or safe.
“At Hey Girls we believe that access to quality period products is a right, not a privilege. Being able to access free period products at the Edinburgh Leisure sites will allow people to conveniently pick up products they need with no questions asked. What’s more, all our period products are sustainable and chemical free; being made with materials including sustainable bamboo and organic cotton, for a planet and body-friendly period.”
Hey Girls was initially established in 2018 by Celia Hodson and her two daughters Kate and Bec as a kitchen table start up after experiencing period poverty themselves. The company has donated over 19 million products to people in the UK facing period poverty through its ‘buy one, donate one’ pledge.
With 21 employees, they’ve grown into a UK wide operation with dispatch teams in Musselburgh in East Lothian, Diss in Norfolk and Sydney in Australia. They are proud to be multi award winning and have celebrity supporters including Michael Sheen and Caitlin Moran.
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