Scotland becomes the first country to offer free period products

Scotland on Monday became the first country in the world to implement a law to provide free access to period products, such as tampons and sanitary pads.

The new legislation, known as the "Period Products Act," states that public councils and educational institutions must create methods to provide access to these products free of charge, reported BBC Mundo.

With the signing of the new law, the British nation seeks to establish free access to these medical devices.

"Providing access to free menstrual products is fundamental to equality and dignity, and removes 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 menstrual products," said Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison.

Since 2017, the country has invested close to US$30 million to provide tampons and sanitary pads in public places. The new law seeks to consolidate this measure, El Financiero reported.

"The work we are doing in Scotland goes beyond the provision of free products. We also provide funding for an educational website for employers, run a successful anti-stigma campaign, and improve the menstrual health resources available to schools," Robison added.

In addition to providing period products, PickMyPeriod, an application for the phone, PickMyPeriod, will be created to provide users with the location of the nearest distribution points.

To implement the "Period Products Act," the Scottish government will provide $4.1 million between 2022 and 2023 to ensure access to free period products for students, according to a statement cited by El Financiero.

"This is another major milestone for menstrual dignity activists and grassroots movements that shows what a difference bold, political decisions can make," celebrated Labour MP Monica Lennon, who was responsible for making the bill.