(F) Luxury goods: free sanitary pads in Scotland

It's official: Scotland could become the first country in the world to make sanitary pads and all feminine hygiene products free. Yes, the Period Products Scotland Bill has recently been approved with 112 yes, 9 no and one abstention, the law that provides for this extraordinary measure. The application, however, will not be immediate. We will have to wait, in fact, for the bill to be examined a second time by the parliament in Holyrood, without excluding the possibility of possible changes through new amendments.

A proposal against Period Poverty

"Products for women's menstruation are a right and therefore must be available to everyone," thunders Monica Lennon, a Labor MP, who is responsible for the bill. But Scotland is a forward-looking and advanced country, which is why, as early as 2018, it was the first to take this path, distributing free menstruation products in schools, colleges and universities.

The bill is part of the plan to fight against Period Poverty, a title which refers to the impossibility or economic difficulty in finding items for personal hygiene during the days of the cycle. We remember, in fact, that in many countries of the world, including, reluctantly, we have to enter Italy, the VAT applied on sanitary pads, internal tampons, menstrual cups and the like is 22%, just like truffles and other goods. luxury.In Scotland and the rest of the UK, this percentage has dropped to 5%, but now they want to get rid of it completely.

See also

(F) Luxury Goods: Is Menstrual Leave Really Necessary?

A not insignificant but necessary cost

The implementation, unfortunately, will not be easy since the estimated cost for this maneuver is around 24 million pounds, approximately 30 million euros. Aileen Campbell, secretary for communities and local governments, which points out that the costs would have been underestimated, so first of all it will be necessary to find a way to find the necessary amount, in any case managing to make ends meet.

Italy is light years away from a similar decree

We Italians, in the meantime, can not help but hope that our government will take its cue from distant Scottish cousins ​​and show itself more involved in this battle for gender equality. For now, we have to settle for the 22 to 5% VAT discount. On biodegradable products. The most expensive and hard to find ones. Wow, thanks a lot!