The Scottish FA has been awarded funding from sportscotland to provide 110,000 free sanitary products across 300 women’s and girls’ teams in Scotland.
Across the UK 1 in 10 females currently live with period poverty, and it is estimated within Scotland that 1 in 4 women and girls do not have access to or cannot afford sanitary products.
Thanks to the partnerships created between the Scottish FA, sportscotland, Scottish Women’s Football (SWF), Scottish Football Partnership Trust and Hey Girls, 300 girls’ and women’s teams across Scotland will be provided with free sanitary products to change the landscape of period dignity within Scotland.
In total the Scottish FA will provide 110,000 Sanitary Products throughout the girls’ and women’s game. Packs have already been issued across Scotland with the remaining packs scheduled to be issued in early 2021.
Through supporting clubs to offer free period products to participants and visitors, the fund aims to support the Scottish Government’s aims to widen the availability of products beyond education and public sector settings. The £12,000 grant provided to the Scottish FA is part of a £50,000 fund awarded to sportscotland by the Scottish Government.
The investment will allow females to have access to free period products when they are participating in sport, helping with inclusion and making sure no one is forced to miss out.
The Scottish FA is committed to ensure Scottish Football is representative and reflective of Scotland’s demographic. In 2019 the Scottish FA was recognised in this commitment by achieving the prestigious Advanced Level within the Equality Framework of Sport, becoming one of only a few National Governing Bodies across the UK to receive the award and the first Football Association to be promoted to the Advanced Award. This has been enhanced with the launch of the Scottish FA’s Equality Framework, Football Unites, which sets a vision for Scottish football to be reflective and representative of the demographic of Scotland.
SWF Chair, Vivienne MacLaren, said: “SWF is delighted to be at the forefront of helping to tackle period poverty and inclusion within football.
“Ensuring that girls’ and women are able to access these products for free removes any barriers to participation and plays a significant role in supporting females to stay active throughout their cycle. No individual should have to miss out on football due to their period and we’re delighted to be partnering and supporting this project.”
Jacqueline Lynn, sportscotland’s Head of School and Community Sport, said: “Sport has a positive impact on people and communities and at sportscotland we want to ensure sport is accessible to all. These grants will help sports clubs across Scotland ensure all members feel included, comfortable and dignified when they take part.”
David McArdle, Scottish FA’s Diversity and Inclusion Manager said: “This campaign is the next stage to the Scottish FA’s journey to ensure there are no barriers to participation. This continues on from Hampden Park becoming the world’s first international football stadium to provide free sanitary products to their staff, visitors and spectators. We hope clubs find benefit within the products that will be distributed and we look forward to clubs continuing to provide their members with free sanitary products in order to create meaningful change across the Scottish landscape”.
