The introduction of a new law would further increase the difference between Scotland and England—a good thing as far as the SNP is concerned
was a teenager, money was tight, and she had to ration the number of tampons she used. Despite experiencing extremely heavy periods, she would use only one or two a day. Once, she bled through onto a chair at school. “Even to this day when I’m buying products it still feels like I need to ration myself as an after-effect of being so restricted growing up.”
Ms Fisher shared her experiences in the course of a consultation on a bill that would make Scotland the first country in the world to offer free period products to all women. The Period Products Bill has just passed its first legislative hurdle, and if it becomes law, which looks likely, the Scottish government will be obliged to provide free sanitary pads and tampons to “anyone who needs them”.
The woman behind the bill is Monica Lennon, a Labour member of the Scottish Parliament. She initiated the first conversation about the cost of periods in the Scottish chamber’s history; in 2020 she has grey-haired males talking about bloody tampons. Earlier this month the ruling Scottish National Party abandoned its concerns about period tourism flooding over the English border, so the bill has the support of all parties and looks set to cycle through Parliament.
The prevalence of women in Scottish politics seems to be one reason why Scotland looks like achieving a world first on this issue. The Scottish cabinet is more than half female , and Scotland has had a female first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, for five years. She championed the introduction of free period products in schools in 2018.
The measure is also an indication of the Scottish government’s appetite for radical social legislation, points out Mark Diffley, an independent polling consultant in Edinburgh. Scotland has provided free university tuition and personal care, banned smoking in public places and set a minimum price on alcohol.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Unearthly': Russian free diver Alexey Molchanov speaks out after record-breaking ice diveA Russian freediver set a Guinness World Record by swimming 591 feet under ice—nearly three minutes on a single breath—through icy water. He was accompanied by a team who were prepared to assist in case of an emergency.
Read more »
Court confirms YouTube has no free speech obligation - Business InsiderWhile the ruling that YouTube is not a public platform answers an important legal question, another still remains over whether platforms are liable for harmful content
Read more »
“The Lord Loves Free Enterprise”: Conservative Faithful Pitch Trump as the Savior From SocialismThey’re not feeling the Bern at CPAC, where socialism is enemy number one—along with the media, Democrats, and apparently, Instagram.
Read more »
'Hoods To Woods' Takes Inner City Kids Snowboarding All Winter -- For FreeHoods to Woods, a nonprofit that wants to help inner city kids experience the outdoors, needs donations to take 40 kids snowboarding this winter.
Read more »
Coronavirus vaccine could be free, thanks to Obamacare - Business InsiderHere's why Obamacare would likely make any coronavirus vaccine free for patients — and prove critical in fighting the disease
Read more »