2022 스코트랜드 생리대 탐폰, 초중고교~대학, 공공장소 무료 지급 결정, sanitary pads free for all Scottish women

[메모]  여성의 몸을 '사회적 측면'과 '개인적 측면'을 동시에 고려해야 한다. 생리 기간에도 '절대적' '상대적' 빈곤감을 느껴야 하는 것은 이제 개인의 수치가 아니라 사회와 공동체 전체의 수치가 되어야 한다. 

[ 생각할 주제들]  사기업이 판매하는 생리대 질과 행정부가 지급하는 생리대 질 경쟁에서 '무료 생리대,탐폰' 등의 위생성과 안전성이 더 뛰어나거나, 적어도 뒤처져서는 안된다. 이를 위해서는 시민들의 참여가 필수적이다. 

[ 예산 논쟁] 

스코트랜드 인구가 550만 정도 되니, 대략 한국의 10분의 1 이다. 스코트랜드 2022년 생리대 예산이 128억이면, 한국의 경우 1280억 정도면 스코트랜드 수준이라 볼 수 있다. 

2019년 서울시 경우, 중위소득 50% 이하(차상위계층) 인  만 11세~18세 여성, 1만 7천명에게 생리대 무료 지급하는데, 연간 21억 5천만원 예산임. 서울시는 모든 여성 청소년으로 확대하면 연간 총 410억이 필요하다고 봄. 

cnn 뉴스 보도 요약:  1) 스코트랜드 사례 : 초중고등학교, 대학을 비롯, 공공 건물 등에 여성 생리대를 비치해 무료로 전 시민에게 제공된다. 

2) 스코트랜드 2022년 생리대 예산 870만 파운드 (128억) 

3) 현황: 2017년 영국 UK 조사  결과, '생리대 빈곤층' 10명 중 1명.

4) 다른 국가들 사례: 영국 연방 (UK)국가의 하나인 잉글랜드에서는 작년에 여학생들에게 생리대 무료 지급 결정, 뉴질랜드는 올해 상반기 결정. 

신문 기사 출처: https://cnn.it/3fSP3go

Scotland becomes first country to make tampons and pads available for free

By Rob Picheta and Ivana Kottasová, CNN

Updated 5:03 AM ET, Wed November 25, 2020

MSP Monica Lennon (second left) with campaigners against period poverty outside Scotland's Parliament in February.

London (CNN)Scotland has become the first country to allow free and universal access to menstrual products, including tampons and pads, in public facilities, a landmark victory for the global movement against period poverty.

The Scottish Parliament voted unanimously in favor of the Period Products bill on Tuesday, months after lawmakers had initially signaled their support.

It means period products will be available to access in public buildings including schools and universities across Scotland. 

According to the new rules, it will be up to local authorities and education providers to ensure the products are available free of charge.

"The campaign has been backed by a wide coalition, including trades unions, women's organisations and charities," Monica Lennon, the lawmaker who introduced the bill last year, said ahead of the vote. "Scotland will not be the last country to make period poverty history."

After the vote, Lennon said the decision was "a signal to the world that free universal access to period products can be achieved."

The bill's accompanying financial memorandum estimates it could cost around £8.7 million a year by 2022, depending on the number of women who will take advantage of the free products. 

In a document supporting the legislation, Lennon said it was reasonable to expect 20% uptake of the scheme given the fact that official inequality statistics show that nearly 20% of women in Scotland live in relative poverty.

The new law was praised by a number of equality and women's rights groups as well as politicians from across the parties represented in the Scottish Parliament.

"Proud to vote for this groundbreaking legislation, making Scotland the first country in the world to provide free period products for all who need them. 

An important policy for women and girls," Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on her official Twitter page after the vote.

She had no sanitary pads. No one knew and no one helped

One in 10 girls in the United Kingdom have been unable to afford period products, according to a 2017 survey from Plan International UK. 

The survey also found that nearly half of all girls aged 14 to 21 are embarrassed by their periods, while about half had missed an entire day of school because of them.

Scotland's move follows a string of recent attempts to tackle period poverty in the country.

In 2018, the government announced that students in schools, colleges and universities across the countries would be able to access sanitary products for free, through a £5.2 million investment. 

In 2019, it allocated another £4 million to make period products available for free in libraries and recreational centers.

England last year also launched an initiative to provide free sanitary products in schools, and New Zealand did the same earlier this year.