It is a provision without equal in the world. The Scottish Autonomous Parliament took a first step on Tuesday, February 26, towards free periodical protection for all women.
The bill passed at first reading by Scottish deputies provides that tampons and sanitary towels will be distributed free of charge in specific places (pharmacies, youth clubs, local centers). The annual cost of the measure is estimated at £ 24 million, or around € 28 million.
The bill was passed by 112 deputies. There were no votes against and only one abstention. In accordance with parliamentary procedure, a second phase will begin during which the elected members of the Edinburgh Independent Parliament can propose amendments.
"No single woman should have to live without periodic protections"
At the origin of this bill, MP Monica Lennon believed that the adoption of her text "Would mark a turning point by normalizing menstruation in Scotland and sending the tangible signal of the seriousness with which our Parliament takes into account gender issues" :
"These are staples, and not a single woman in Scotland should have to live without periodic protections. "
Scotland had already taken a first step in 2018 by becoming the first nation to distribute periodical protections for free to schools and universities.
#RulesNonDites, the project
France, Kenya, India, Sweden, South Korea, Germany or Burkina Faso. In a series of reports, we wanted to show how menstrual precariousness affects the most vulnerable women in the world.
What are we talking about, how many women are affected, what public policies are being implemented when this subject has recently been on the political agenda in France?
The rules remain a subject of which little is said in the public sphere. Putting words on a taboo can reduce the potentially devastating risks of ignorance and fantasies.
