What Can India Learn From Scotland’s Initiative Of Making Menstrual Hygiene Products Free

Here's everything about 'period poverty,' Indian efforts to enhance menstrual hygiene across the country, and what India can take from Scotland's recent move to offer free period products.

New Delhi: Recently, Scotland has made history by being the first country in the world to give away free period supplies, including tampons, sanitary pads, and other items. The decision has been made to officially declare "period poverty" over as soon as possible. The Scottish campaign is part of a larger global effort to fight period poverty, a condition in which people lack access to feminine hygiene products due to the high cost.

“Proud of what we have achieved in Scotland,” Monica Lennon, the member of parliament who kick-started the Scottish legislation, tweeted on Monday. “We are the first but won’t be the last.”

Here's everything you need to know about 'period poverty', Indian initiatives to improve menstrual hygiene across the nation, and what can India learn from the recent Scottish decision of providing free period products. 

What Is ‘Period Poverty’ And Where Does India Stand? 

As per a definition provided by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), ‘period poverty’ is the struggle many low-income women and girls face while trying to afford menstrual products. The term also refers to the increased economic vulnerability women and girls face due to the financial burden posed by menstrual supplies. These include not only menstrual pads and tampons but also related costs such as pain medication and underwear. 

Period poverty may seem to be a problem in underdeveloped and emerging nations, but according to UNPF, it also affects women in developed nations that are wealthy and industrialised.

Period poverty is not only an economic issue but a social and political one as well. For instance, some advocates have called for menstruation products to be tax exempt. Such efforts in India have resulted in the elimination of tax on menstrual pads and tampons.

A report, published by UNICEF and WaterAid in the year 2018, found that more than a third of girls in South Asia miss school during their periods, mainly due to a lack of access to toilets and pads in schools and no proper education about menstruation. According to the report, most of the schools in South Asia fell short of the WHO standards of one toilet for every 25 girls.

What Efforts India Is Taking To Eradicate Period Poverty?

As per the official website of the National Health Mission under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare various schemes have been introduced for the promotion of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years in rural areas.

The programme was first put into effect in 2011 in 107 selected districts across 17 States, where rural adolescent girls were given a pack of six sanitary towels named "Freedays" for a cost of Rs. 6. Since 2014, funds under the National Health Mission have been gradually granted to States and UTs for the decentralised purchase of sanitary napkin packs for distribution to rural teenage girls at a discounted rate of Rs 6 for a pack of 6 napkins.

The ASHA employees are still in charge of distribution, and they get paid Rs 1 for each pack they sell as well as a complimentary pack of napkins each month for their own use. They organise monthly gatherings at Aanganwadi Centers or other similar venues for teenage girls to address other pertinent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) topics as well as the topic of menstrual cleanliness.

In order to raise awareness among adolescent girls about safe and hygienic menstrual health practices, a variety of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials have been developed around MHS. These materials include audio, video, and reading materials for adolescent girls as well as job aids for ASHAs and other field-level functionaries for communicating with adolescent girls.

What Can India Learn From Scotland? 

India is progressing gradually. Even while it is impossible for any nation to completely abolish period poverty, the new Scottish initiative to offer free period supplies to everyone is receiving accolades from all over the world.

India has adopted a number of measures to normalise periods for both individuals who menstruate and those who do not, including the exemption of sanitary napkins from tax and the provision of counselling and menstrual hygiene education. Despite the fact that data shows that 80% of teenage girls in India still use homemade pads and that 60% of adolescent girls skipped school due to menstruation, the steps implemented at the grassroots level may appear significant, but the results are not.

Exempting sanitary napkins from the tax could increase their affordability but doesn’t ensure full accessibility, also, apart from sanitary napkins other period products are highly expensive and awareness regarding their use is minimal in the country. An initiative like Scotland’s is more likely to be a success than ours to eradicate ‘period poverty.’

The government campaigns and awareness drives have caused a small stir in the country, people in the country need a strong move that can inspire people to get period products regardless of any hurdles and maintain healthy menstrual hygiene for themselves and for people around them.