Soon, public school students in California won't have to worry about paying for menstrual products.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Friday signed into law the Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021, which makes period products available for free at public schools serving students in the 6th through 12th grades, as well as at community colleges and California state universities. The law takes effect at the beginning of the next school year.
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Garcia decided to sponsor the bill last year after Scotland became the first country in the world to provide universal free menstrual products. The World Health Organization and UNICEF found in 2015 that globally, at least 500 million women and girls do not have access to menstrual products or clean bathroom facilities, potentially leading to urinary tract infections and reproductive issues.
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