Scotland tries to combat poverty by providing free menstrual products

[It's reportedly the first country to do so]( Aug. 28, 2018 Scotland reportedly became the first country in the world to give out free sanitary napkins to students this past Friday. Victoria Heaney, who led the charge to provide free sanitary napkins, conducted a survey on period poverty last year for Women for Independence, a grassroots group in Scotland. She found that nearly 1 in 5 respondents had difficulty affording period products each month. Through her findings, Heaney started the #FreePeriodScotland campaign that [caught the attention of the Scottish government.]( Also, in part of Nepal, the birth of a second girl can mean tremendous economic difficulty. That’s led to a harsh reality: [Some pregnant women abort girl fetuses.]( And for weeks, news of a mother orca carrying her dead infant through the icy waters of the Salish Sea captured the attention of many around the world — [one of the most protracted displays of marine mammal grieving](. — Anna Pratt, The Scan editor [No Images? Click here.]( [Scotland tries to combat poverty by providing free menstrual products]( [Scotland tries to combat poverty by providing free menstrual products]( Victoria Heaney started the #FreePeriodScotland campaign that caught the attention of the Scottish government and, ultimately, helped spur a conversation across Scotland about the fight against period poverty. [Scotland tries to combat poverty by providing free menstrual products]( [Scotland tries to combat poverty by providing free menstrual products]( Victoria Heaney started the #FreePeriodScotland campaign that caught the attention of the Scottish government and, ultimately, helped spur a conversation across Scotland about the fight against period poverty. [Local Nepali government sending a message by paying families that have baby girls]( [Local Nepali government sending a message by paying families that have baby girls]( In Nepal, many families view the birth of a baby girl as an economic burden, so some pregnant women abort girl fetuses. One local Nepali government is encouraging families to keep their daughters — and it’s paying them for having baby girls. [Local Nepali government sending a message by paying families that have baby girls]( [Local Nepali government sending a message by paying families that have baby girls]( In Nepal, many families view the birth of a baby girl as an economic burden, so some pregnant women abort girl fetuses. One local Nepali government is encouraging families to keep their daughters — and it’s paying them for having baby girls. [What a grieving orca mother tells us about animals and death]( [What a grieving orca mother tells us about animals and death]( Among scientists, however, there remains a prejudice against the idea that animals feel “real” grief or respond in complex ways to death. Following reports of the “grieving,” zoologist Jules Howard, for example, wrote, “If you believe J35 was displaying evidence of mourning or grief, you are making a case that rests on faith, not on scientific endeavor.” [What a grieving orca mother tells us about animals and death]( [What a grieving orca mother tells us about animals and death]( Among scientists, however, there remains a prejudice against the idea that animals feel “real” grief or respond in complex ways to death. Following reports of the “grieving,” zoologist Jules Howard, for example, wrote, “If you believe J35 was displaying evidence of mourning or grief, you are making a case that rests on faith, not on scientific endeavor.” [Russia to hold biggest war games in nearly four decades]( [Russia to hold biggest war games in nearly four decades]( The Chinese and Mongolian armies will also participate in the military exercise. [The UN says some Saudi-led coalition air strikes in Yemen may amount to war crimes]( [The UN says some Saudi-led coalition air strikes in Yemen may amount to war crimes]( Air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen's war have caused heavy civilian casualties at marketplaces, weddings and on fishing boats, some of which may amount to war crimes, United Nations human rights experts said on Tuesday. Hey, Scan reader… PRI takes a global approach to the news of the day. We help you understand how what happens around the world matters in Washington and in your neighborhood. Today more than ever, we need conversations, perspectives and diverse voices. [Donate Today >]( Enjoying The Scan? Forward it to a friend! And if you’re not getting it daily, it’s easy to subscribe. [Sign up here](. We also love feedback, so please [tell us how we’re doing](. Today’s newsletter was written by Anna Pratt. Find her on Twitter: [@annapratt](. [Press release]( [PRI Facebook]( [PRI Twitter]( [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( The Scan is brought to you by [GlobalPost]( and [PRI - Public Radio International](.