Scottish football tackles period poverty

Description

In March 2018 three female football fans set-up the ‘On the Baw’ campaign to tackle period poverty by encouraging football clubs to provide free period products at football grounds in Scotland. This football-fan-led campaign partially inspired the Period Products (free provision) Scotland bill. By 2021, clubs across each tier of the SPFL had committed to On the Baw’s demand, 113 football clubs globally committed to providing free sanitary products for their fans, and Scotland became the first country in the world to provide free and universal access to period products. One hundred years after banning the women’s game, thanks to the On the Baw campaign, Scottish football has become a key player in the fight for period dignity. This article explores the impact for women attending football games in Scotland, and points towards further changes needed to enable period dignity.