Scotland’s historic step of becoming the first country in the world to protect, in law, the right to access free period products for everyone who needs them is an example of the action we are taking to create a fairer, more equal, society.
There has been a growing concern in recent times over access to essential period products. In 2018, Scotland became the first country in the world to offer free period products to students at all levels of education in Scotland.
Of course, this is not just an issue in Scotland, but one that’s also faced by individuals around the world every day. As awareness becomes more and more mainstream, we saw a real opportunity to make a positive change on this important issue.
The Scottish Government believes that having access to free period products is fundamental to dignity, equality and human rights. That’s why The Scottish Government has invested over £47 million, since 2018, to fund access to free period products.
To protect this right even further, the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 (legislation.gov.uk) came into force on 15 August 2022 and places a legal duty on local authorities and education providers to make period products available free of charge, as and when they are required. Products must be easily obtained, in a way that respects people’s dignity, and a range of products must be made available.
Free period products
Free period products can be accessed across the whole of Scotland in places such as schools, colleges, universities and in community settings, including libraries, leisure and community centres.
Find out how to access products (mygov.scot). You can also find information on local authority websites. The website and free app, PickupMyPeriod (myperiod.org.uk) also lists locations from across all of Scotland, making it even easier to identify and visit the places where period products can be accessed for free.
The work we are doing in Scotland doesn’t stop at providing products. We know that despite an increasingly positive culture surrounding periods there are still ongoing concerns about stigma, shame and worry around periods and period products. To help tackle this, the Scottish Government undertook a campaign that helped challenge the stigma around periods and encouraged more people to talk openly about them.
The Scottish Government has also funded an educational website for employers and improved the resources available for schools when talking about menstrual health.
A selection of projects across Scotland
There are a range of initiatives in Scotland tackling period dignity at home and across the world.
On The Ball
On The Ball is an independent, grass-roots initiative developed by football fans, Mikaela McKinley, Erin Slaven and Orlaith Duffy. They formed On The Ball in 2018 partly due to being inspired by Scotland’s work around period dignity and decided they wanted to address these issues in football grounds around Scotland, and the world.
The campaign quickly went viral, as the girls took their message to key decision makers as well as an ever-growing number of followers. Clubs from Scotland and England as well as other countries including, Brazil, Germany and the USA, have all pledged to provide free sanitary products to women in their stadiums.
Bleedin' Saor
Bleedin’ Saor (A bloody big project) is a major design and media project led by staff and students at Edinburgh Napier University. The project aims to investigate how this government pledge is delivered and sustained, explore whether the initiative is reaching those in need and break the taboo around discussing menstruation. Bleedin’ Saor are taking an active role in designing an intervention at Edinburgh Napier and raising awareness both locally and internationally.
The project is a live work-related learning initiative for students building their project management, teamwork and creative skills on a campaign for real social change – including the creation of a documentary film on the subject. Bleeding Free is a culmination of compelling storytelling, global effort, and fantastic participants. It tells the story of girls and women around the world: those who, throughout their life, suffered from social stigma against their bodies and especially on the topic of menstruation.
Hey Girls
Hey Girls is a Scottish social enterprise dedicated to improving period equality throughout Scotland and the UK. Their revolutionary ‘Buy One, Give One’ business model ensures that every time someone buys a pack of their ethically sourced products, another pack goes to someone in need.
Hey Girls also works closely with schools and community groups across Scotland to provide empowering education about periods and ensure products are distributed with dignity. Their My Period education resources were created with a huge range of partners, to help people of all ages start talking about periods, break down taboos and get the conversations flowing!