Moray Council has published its plan to offer free period products across the region.
Following a public consultation last month, the authority has drawn up an action plan and statement of intent to get the products people in Moray need, in the places they want.
The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 requires local authorities to make period products freely available to anyone who menstruates.
A reasonable range of products must be easily accessible and comfortable for individuals to access, without embarrassment, and in a way that respects a person’s dignity.
The council currently supplies free period products to all council schools and, in partnership with Moray Food Plus+, around 100 other publicly accessible premises including; community facilities; publicly accessible toilets; GP surgeries; and numerous independent community and voluntary group facilities.
These will now be added to using feedback from the recent survey and a communications campaign undertaken to promote the initiative.
Moray will also soon be included on the PickUpMyPeriod app and website so anyone who needs period products can easily find where they are available nearby.
Other actions include increasing the offering of reusable products; investigation into a postal delivery service; making additional arrangements for those with barriers to accessing free products; and improving the publicity around provision of free period products.
Moray Council leader, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said:
“The stigma around periods is not one that can be banished with the placing of products in more accessible locations, but it is a giant leap in the right direction.
“Free period products are already available in schools and a number of community facilities but we’ve heard directly from people, via the recent survey, where else they would appreciate them and have taken that on-board.
“We also need to ensure anyone who needs these free products, for whatever reason, can obtain them directly and without cause for embarrassment.
“We’re committed to creating welcoming environments in our own civic venues to make sure period poverty isn’t a cause for anyone in Moray to miss out on opportunities.”
