BARCELONA, Spain (AP) 鈥� Spain鈥檚 Catalonia region rolled out a pioneering women鈥檚 health initiative this week that offers reusable for free.
About 2.5 million women, girls, transgender and nonbinary people who menstruate can receive one menstrual cup, one pair of underwear for periods and two packages of cloth pads at local pharmacies in northeast Spain free of charge.
The Catalan government said that the initiative, which is called 鈥淢y period, my rules,鈥� was meant to 鈥済uarantee the right to menstrual equity.鈥� The regional government cited statistics that said 23% of women polled by Catalonia鈥檚 public opinion office said they had reused hygiene products designed for a single use for economic reasons.
T脿nia Verge, Catalonia鈥檚 regional minister for equality and feminism, called the program a 鈥済lobal first."
Scotland鈥檚 government in 2020 to ensure period products are available for free to anyone who needs them. But in comparison with the Catalan program, in Scotland the products are for single use and are distributed through schools, colleges and universities, not pharmacies.
鈥淲e are fighting menstrual poverty, which affects one in four women in Catalonia, but is also about gender justice. We are fighting the stereotypes and taboos about menstruation,鈥� Verge told The Associated Press. "And (...) it is about climate justice. We need to reduce the tons of waste generated by single-use menstrual products.鈥�
The distribution of reusable products is also aimed at reducing waste. The regional government said that Catalonia produces about 9,000 tons of waste from single-use menstrual hygiene products.
The reusable products are acquired by the public health care system, which covers the entire population, and distributed by Catalonia鈥檚 3,000-plus private pharmacies. The program cost the regional government 8.5 million euros ($9.2 million).
鈥淚 am completely in favor of this initiative,鈥� 29-year-old graphic designer Laura Vilarasa said. 鈥淚t will give women a product that is absolutely necessary to have for zero cost.鈥�
Spain鈥檚 national government passed a law last year granting women with debilitating menstrual pain the .
Spain is gearing up for International Women鈥檚 Day on March 8, when the European country holds some of the biggest marches for women鈥檚 rights in the world.
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Sylvia Hui contributed to this report from London.
Joseph Wilson And Renata Brito, The Associated Press
