- Scotland has passed legislation to make sanitary products available to everyone
- The Bill was brought forward by Labour health spokeswoman Monica Lennon
Scotland has become the first nation in the world to make sanitary products available to all who need them following the passing of a landmark legislation in Parliament today. (24th of November 2020)
The Bill, which was brought forward by Labour health spokeswoman Monica Lennon, was unanimously approved by MSPs after winning the support of the Scottish Government and the other opposition parties in Holyrood. The move is intended to eliminate period poverty and help households under financial strain in the country.
Ms Lennon said the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill was a ‘practical and progressive’ piece of legislation, made all the more vital because of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the Scottish Parliament Website, under the Bill:
- The Scottish Government must set up a Scotland-wide scheme to allow anyone who needs period products to get them free of charge
- Schools, colleges and universities must make a range of period products available for free, in their toilets
- The Scottish Government will have the power to make other public bodies provide period products for free
You can find out more in the document prepared on behalf of Monica Lennon MSP that explains the Bill.
This Bill was introduced to the parliament in on 23rd of April 2019 and it went through the standard process of examining the general principles, and approved through stage 2 and 3 with changes. Today at the parliament the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill has been passed unanimously by MSPs and created history to become the first country in the world to pass legislation offering free period product to the anyone who needs them.
Nicola Sturgeon the First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party said she was ‘proud to vote fo this groundbreaking legislation’ which enabled free period products for all Also She stated that the ‘Periods don’t stop for pandemics and the work to improve access to essential tampons, pads and reusables has never been more important.’
Meantime in Sri Lanka’s Parliament : Female MPs argue over proposed tax on sanitary napkins, Female Parliamentarians have strongly opposed the 15% tax on sanitary pads proposed by the Sri Lankan Government in its budget for 2021. Calling it the “Menses tax”, former SJB MP Diana Gamage and Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Rohini Kavirathne raised their objections in this regard in Parliament today. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Geetha Kumarasinghe joined the debate and stated that the only important thing for women and school children in the country is national security. (Reported by NewsWire)
State Minister Kanchana Wijesekara today reacted to the accusations raised by the opposition that Government has imposed a new 15% tax on Sanitary products.
“Import tax on sanitary products was at 30% Custom Duty n 0% CESS. The Custom duty has been adjusted to 5,10,15% slabs as per new tax policy. With the new adjustments taxes for sanitary products will be 15% Custom Duty and 15% CESS. There’s NO CHANGE IN DUTY, NO INCREASE in PRICE.” State Minister Kanchana Wijesekara tweeted.
Also he has tweeted saying that “The total revenue from duty on sanitary products were Rs 140 million in 2019 and we will request President @GotabayaR and PM @PresRajapaksa to reduce that too without harming the local producers or support the local producers to lowers their costs”.
In Sri Lanka, the problem is particularly acute because sanitary products are so heavily taxed – until September 2019, the levy on imported pads was more than 100%. It has since been reduced to about 63% by the Yahapalanaya Government and Sri Lanka’s former finance minister, Mangala Samaraweera, expressed that he was looking into how taxes on sanitary products could be reduced further at that time.
Also he has stated “Access to affordable female hygiene products is certainly expected to have an important positive impact on girls’ school attendance and thus educational outcomes,” “It will also facilitate fuller participation of women in the economy.” he said.
During the presidential election in 2019, then the presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa’s pledged to distribute free sanitary napkins to women if elected has drawn mix reactions. But the pledge, which has been welcome by various quarters, has also earned Sajith Premadasa severe flak from conservative Sri Lankan men and women who have labeled him “padman” for unnecessarily drawing attention to what some say is a taboo subject, as it focuses on menstruation.
Meanwhile many women took to social media to show their appreciation and applaud Premadasa for highlighting the rather unusual issue, he also faced a barrage of criticism which mainly emanated from the Rajapaksa camp.
“I will not shy away from this conversation. If we are serious about women’s empowerment, this is a basic place to begin. Until sustainable cost-effective alternatives are found, I stand by my promise to provide sanitary hygiene products free of charge. I remain committed to women’s rights. I will wear the #padman label proudly,” he said
In 17 November 2019, Sajith Premadasa lost the Presidential election.