Free Period Product: Scotland

19 Aug 2022 Free Period Product: Scotland

• Scotland has become the first nation in the world to legally protect the right to access free period products and to make period products free to all by passing the Period Products Act.
• Period Poverty occurs when low-income people cannot afford or access essential period product/s (such as tampons, sanitary pads, etc.).

Scotland’s Initiative

• Under the Period Products Act, schools, colleges and universities, as well as local government bodies, must provide a variety of period products in their bathrooms for free.
• Every council in Scotland is required to work with local communities to determine the best access point for menstrual/period products.

Accessibility:

• The mobile phone app (PickUpMyPeriod) also helps people find the nearest location such as a local library or community center where they can get period products.
• Period products will be available in libraries, swimming pools, public gyms, community buildings, town halls, pharmacies and doctor’s offices.

Status of Menstrual Hygiene in India:

 According to a study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the year 2011:

• Only 13% of girls in India are aware of menstruation before menstruation.
• 60% of girls drop out of school because of menstruation.
• 79% faced low self-confidence due to menstruation and 44% were embarrassed and humiliated by restrictions.
• Menstruation adversely affects women’s education, equality, maternal and child health.

National Family Health Survey 5:

 Use of period products in women aged 15-24 years:

• In seventeen states and union territories 90% or more of women use period products.
• The share of women using period products in Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands was 99%.
• Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar – 70% or less of women use period products.
• Bihar is the only state where the figure of less than 60 percent has been recorded.

The top three states that reported an increase in women’s use of period products from NFHS 4 to NFHS 5:

• Bihar: 90%
• Odisha: 72%
• Madhya Pradesh: 61%

Government of India Initiative for Menstrual Hygiene:

 Cleanliness plan:

• Shuchi Yojana aims at creating awareness about menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls.
• It was launched in 2013-14 initially in a centrally sponsored form.
• However, the Center asked the states to take over the scheme from 2015-16.

Menstrual Hygiene Plan:

• Menstrual Hygiene Scheme 2011 focused on promoting menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls (10-19 years) in rural areas of selected districts.

 Sabla Program:

• It was implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• It focuses on nutrition, health, hygiene and reproductive and sexual health.

National Rural Livelihood Mission:

• It helps self-help groups and small manufacturers to manufacture sanitary pads.

 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Swachh Bharat: Swachh Vidyalaya (SB:SV):

• Menstrual hygiene management is also an integral part of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Guidelines for Gender Issues in Sanitation (2017):

• These have been developed by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to ensure gender equality and empowerment of women and girls with regard to sanitation.
• Safe and effective menstrual hygiene management is an essential component for better and stronger development of adolescent girls and women.

National Guidelines on Menstrual Hygiene Management:

• It was released by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in the year 2015.
• It addresses every component of menstrual hygiene, including raising awareness, driving behavior change, increasing demand for better hygiene products, and capacity building.

Conclusion:

• Government of India should also consider Scotland’s point of view and provide period product or at reasonable price/discount.
• Government can also promote small scale sanitary pad manufacturing units to make low cost pads more easily available, this will also help in income generation for women.
• The government needs to provide directed efforts for awareness and education about menstrual and menstrual hygiene, and access to safe products, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure.
• Although menstrual health cannot be achieved through government efforts alone, community and family level interventions are necessary as a social issue.

Yojna ias daily current affairs eng med 19th August

khyati khare