Free sanitary products for low-income women throughout Scotland
Free sanitary products are to be provided across Scotland to women from low income households, it has been confirmed.
It follows the success of a Scottish government scheme, designed to tackle “period poverty”, which launched in Aberdeen last year and has distributed free products to more than 1,000 women.
The issue has been in the spotlight after being featured in the 2016 film I, Daniel Blake. It focussed on the harsh reality of poverty in the UK and the benefits system
The Scottish Government is to provide charity Fareshare with more than £500,000 to extend it to reach an estimated 18,800 more people.
The organisation will use its centres in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh to begin distributing products over the summer.
An evaluation of the Aberdeen pilot showed that twothirds of the 1,082 women and girls who took part had experienced difficulties in accessing sanitary products in the past.
Equalities secretary Angela Constance said: “It is unacceptable that anyone in Scotland should be unable to access sanitary products and I am pleased that we are able to work with Fareshare to make products available more widely through the services delivered by their partners.”
Head of Fareshare in Scotland Gillian Kynoch said: “Fareshare works with over 1,000 community organisations and charities across Scotland. We are excited to be working with Scottish Government to use this network to make sanitary products available to people across Scotland.
“Our partners CFINE, Move On, Transform and Cyrenians will be supporting the distribution, working with low income and vulnerable people to break down taboos and stigma. This is an issue that has gone unheeded for too long.”
Free sanitary products will also be available to those at school, college or university from August.
Labour MSP Monica Lennon welcomed the extension of the scheme, but called for a statutory requirement to ensure free provision in schools, colleges and universities as well as “placing a duty on the Scottish Government to deliver a free universal system of access”.
Ms Lennon said: “Women shouldn’t have to turn to charity for sanitary products.
“It is time for a universal system and my consultation shows 90 per cent of people agree.
She added: “Scotland can be a world leader in tackling period poverty if we are bold enough to take these radical steps.”