Scotland becomes first nation to provide free period products for all

MSPs pass legislation after four-year grassroots campaign spearheaded by Monica Lennon

Scotland has become the first country in the world to provide free and universal access to period products following a four-year campaign that has fundamentally shifted the public discourse around menstruation.

The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act, which passed unanimously through its final stage on Tuesday evening, will place a legal duty on local authorities to make period products available for all those who need them, building on the work of councils like North Ayrshire, which has been providing free tampons and sanitary towels in its public buildings since 2018.