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the period products act makes scotland first country to offer free tampons and pads

in canada, pads, tampons and menstrual cups were taxed as 'luxury items' until 2015.

by maija kappler

published aug 18, 2022

3 minute read

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3 minute read

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500 million people can't afford the menstrual products they need

it's estimated that globally, 500 million people experience "period poverty," meaning they can't afford vital menstrual products. getty

scotland has officially become the first country in the world to mandate that free menstrual products be made available to anyone who needs them. the period products act, which went into effect this week, will allow jurisdictions to decide how they will provide tampons and menstrual pads “reasonably easily” to anyone who needs them. public services and institutions must provide the products for free. schools, colleges and universities will continue to provide free period products in their bathrooms, which they have already been doing in scotland since early 2020.

the move is “is fundamental to equality and dignity,” social justice secretary shona robison said, according to sky news. “we are proud to be the first national government in the world to take such action.”

the scottish law essentially puts pads and tampons in the same category as toilet paper — the logic is that they’re all objects necessary for public health, and so should be freely available.

while this is likely welcome news to any menstruating person, its most significant impact will be on low-income people. one 2021 survey found that the average woman (or other person who menstruates) spends about usd$13.25 on pads or tampons every month. during the average female reproductive cycle — from ages 12 and 52 — that’s more than cad$8,000. (and that’s simply the cost for the products — it doesn’t take into account the cost of pain relief drugs like midol, for instance, or the lost wages for workers who need time off but don’t have paid sick days.)

500 million people experience period poverty

it’s estimated that globally, 500 million people experience “period poverty,” meaning they can’t afford vital menstrual products. and it’s much closer to home than people may think: almost a quarter of canadian women said they faced financial difficulty getting menstrual products for themselves or their dependents in 2020. when there’s not enough money for a necessary product, people may be forced to use things like rags, paper or grass. or they might re-use old tampons or pads, or keep tampons or cups in for too long, which can lead to localized infections, utis, bacterial vaginosis (vaginal inflammation) or toxic shock syndrome.

and beyond the physical problems, lack of access to necessary health products can negatively impact mental health. a 2021 study of university-aged american women found that 68 per cent of participants who had experienced period poverty also had symptoms of moderate or severe depression. it can also prevent women or other marginalized genders from participating in the world: a study of women in bangladesh, for instance, showed that the vast majority — 73 per cent — missed work for an average of six days a month. many of those women didn’t have paid sick days, and also missed out on wages during the time they stayed home. but when pads were distributed, absenteeism dropped dramatically.

in canada, menstrual products were very recently considered a ‘luxury’

in canada, until 2015, tampons, pads, menstrual cups and other products were taxed as “luxury items” — considered more frivolous and thus taxed at a higher rate than, say, cocktail cherries or wedding cakes, chatelaine pointed out at the time.

“removal of the tampon tax in canada in july 2015 was a long overdue measure that acknowledges menstrual products are a necessity, and that the tax was unfairly burdening menstruators,” suzanne siemens, cofounder of canadian reusable pad company lunapads, said at the time. “recognizing the importance of menstrual equity and its financial consequences is an important part in advancing the movement toward equal rights and empowerment of girls and women around the world.”

in its 2022 budget, the federal government has pledged $25 million over two years to create pilot programs offering free menstrual products. winnipeg ndp mp leah gazan, critic for women and gender equality, told cbc news that she hopes to see pads and tampons treated as essential products.

“it’s about dignity and ensuring people have what they need to live in dignity, and that includes menstrual hygiene products, especially for those who can’t afford it,” gazan said.

cities like hamilton, ont. and calgary have also launched programs offering free tampons and pads at municipally-run buildings and services. and under a partnership with shoppers drug mart, ontario school boards will be offering free products to students for several years.

maija kappler is a reporter and editor at healthing. you can reach her at mkappler@postmedia.com

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the period products act makes scotland first country to offer free tampons and pads

in canada, pads, tampons and menstrual cups were taxed as 'luxury items' until 2015.

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500 million people experience period poverty

in canada, menstrual products were very recently considered a ‘luxury’

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the period products act makes scotland first country to offer free tampons and pads

in canada, pads, tampons and menstrual cups were taxed as 'luxury items' until 2015.

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