The law was the brainchild of Scottish Labor MP Monica Lennon, who introduced the bill in April 2019. “Proud of what we have achieved in Scotland,” Lennon tweeted on Monday. “We are the first but we will not be the last.” In a paper backing the legislation, Lennon said it was reasonable to expect 20% of the menstruating population to make use of the scheme, given official inequality statistics show almost 20% of women in Scotland live in relative poverty. The Act is one of a number of programs designed to tackle period poverty in Scotland, which has certain powers from the UK Government. In 2018, the Scottish Government announced that students in schools, colleges and universities across the country would be able to access hygiene products for free, through a £5.2 million ($6.3 million) investment. In 2019, it allocated a further £4 million ($4.85 million) to make seasonal products available free of charge to libraries and leisure centres. In the UK as a whole, one in 10 girls aged 14-21 reported being unable to buy period products, according to a 2017 survey by Plan International UK. The survey also found that almost half felt embarrassed about their periods and about half had missed a full day of school because of them. London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the new law on Twitter and called for more action from the UK government. “A monumental day for #PeriodDignity. Credit to the many campaigners, trade unionists and @MonicaLennon7 who made it happen,” Khan tweeted. “Now is the time for the UK Government to follow suit and put an end to period poverty.” In January 2021, the United Kingdom abolished the 5% value added tax (VAT) rate on period goods. And in 2019, England launched an initiative to provide free hygiene products to schools. Globally, a few countries add zero tax to hygiene products, such as Canada, India, Australia, Kenya and several US states. Last year, Germany voted to lower its tax rate on feminine hygiene products after deeming them a daily necessity rather than a luxury.
