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m I added a fact pertaining to the population of India and the issues in acquiring menstrual products and the cause of the problem. I added this because I saw areas included such as China, African countries like Kenya and other places. I felt as if I could add another country and give more information on it. I would appreciate feedback on this fact. |
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'''Tampon tax''' (or '''period tax''') is a popular term used to call attention to [[tampons]], and other [[feminine hygiene]] products, being subject to [[value-added tax]] or [[sales tax]], unlike the [[tax exemption]] status granted to other products considered basic necessities. Proponents of tax exemption argue that tampons, [[sanitary napkins]], [[menstrual cups]] and comparable products constitute basic, unavoidable necessities for women, and any additional taxes constitute a [[pink tax]].
Proponents of tax exemption argue that tampons, [[sanitary napkins]], [[menstrual cups]] and other products which serve the basic menstrual cycle constitute unavoidable necessities for women and should be classified alongside other unavoidable, tax-exempt necessities, such as groceries and personal medical items.<ref name="WaPo: Garcia"/><ref name="USAT: NY"/> The [[BBC]] estimates that women need to use [[feminine hygiene]] products for about a week each month for about 30 years.<ref name="BBC: international"/> According to the AMA, of those who menstruate, over 17,000 menstrual products are used amounting to around 2,000 dollars worth with their lifespan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why stigma prevents treating menstrual hygiene as essential |url=https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/why-stigma-prevents-treating-menstrual-hygiene-essential |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=American Medical Association |date=December 16, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> While [[sales tax]] policy varies across jurisdictions, these products were typically taxed at the same rate as non-essential goods, such as in the United States, while other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, reduced or eliminated their general [[consumption tax]] on sanitary products.<ref name="USAT: NY"/><ref name="BBC: international"/> When asked about equivalent exemptions for men, proponents argue that no male products, [[condoms]] included, are comparable to feminine hygiene products, since menstruation is biological and "[[feminine hygiene]] is not a choice".<ref name="WaPo: Garcia"/> However, others argue that other basic necessities such as [[toilet paper]] are still taxed in many countries, for example in the UK at 20%.<ref name="Robertson2015"/> As the vast majority of consumers of feminine hygiene products are women, the increased cost has been criticized as being discriminatory against women.<ref name="Hinckley Journal of Politics:Public Discourse of Policies Concerning Menstrual Taboo"/> The tampon tax is not a special tax levied directly on feminine hygiene products.<ref name="USAT: NY"/>
Since about 2004, many countries have abolished or reduced sales taxes for tampons and pads, including Kenya, Canada, India, Colombia, Australia, Germany, and Rwanda.
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The government also allocated Ksh 240M to provision of free sanitary pads to girls in public governmental schools through the National Sanitary Towel Programme. This increased to Ksh 400M in 2015. However, this funding declined to 260M in 2022/2023 budget.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-11 |title=How education law can end 'period poverty' for our girls |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/blogs-opinion/blogs/how-education-law-can-end-period-poverty-for-our-girls-3945214 |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=Nation |language=en}}</ref>
In 2016, the Kenyan parliament introduced an amendment to the Basic Education Act which guaranteed the provision of free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels to every girl child registered and enrolled in a public basic education institution who has reached puberty and the provision of a safe and environmentally sound mechanism for disposal of the sanitary towels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Basic Education Act No. 14 of 2013 |url=http://www.kenyalaw.org:8181/exist/kenyalex/actview.xql?actid=No.%2014%20of%202013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219233533/http://kenyalaw.org:8181/exist/kenyalex/actview.xql?actid=No.%2014%20of%202013 |archive-date=19 September 2015 |access-date=19 February 2023 |website=Kenya Law Website}}</ref> These began to be distributed in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sanitary Towels Program |url=https://gender.go.ke/sanitary-towels-program/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211052557/https://gender.go.ke/sanitary-towels-program/ |archive-date=7 December 2018 |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=20 Places Around the World Where Governments Provide Free Period Products |url=https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/free-period-products-countries-cities-worldwide/ |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=Global Citizen |date=September 30, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> The government established a Menstrual Hygiene Management Policy in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 May 2020 |title=Menstrual Hygiene Management Policy 2019-2030 |url=http://guidelines.health.go.ke:8000/media/Menstrual_Hygiene_Management_Policy_2019-2030-_May2020.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220000634/http://guidelines.health.go.ke:8000/media/Menstrual_Hygiene_Management_Policy_2019-2030-_May2020.pdf |archive-date=20 February 2023 |access-date=20 February 2023 |website=Ministry of Health Kenya}}</ref>
=== Canada ===
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=== Indian Population and Menstruation ===
With a population of 355 million, India has approximately 88% of women who are unable to acquire safe menstrual products because of a lack of capital access. The menstrual products aren’t thought to be essential, therefore overpriced, and out of reach for over 70% of Indian women who menstruate.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Garg |first=Suneela |date=April 2015 |title=Menstruation related myths in India: strategies for combating it |
== Activism ==
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Slovakia levies a 20% tax on sanitary products—the basic goods rate. A Slovakian film director commented that there are no plans to change the law and that east Europe missed elements of feminist change while living under communist government.<ref name="BBC: international"/>
Other campaigns have emerged such as #Freeperiods encouraging state policies to provide menstrual products. #Freeperiods is a campaign started by Amika George who started a petition aimed at encouraging the UK government to provide low-income families with subsidised menstrual products.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/26/opinions/free-period-campaign-amika-george/index.html|title=Why I'm leading the #FreePeriods campaign|last=George|first=Amika|website=CNN|date=September 26, 2018|access-date=2019-11-15}}</ref> This campaign since then has grown exponentially. The Free periods initiative has recently paired up with The Red Box Project, which is a community-based initiative that provides free menstrual products and underwear to young women who struggle financially. The Red Box Projects notes the importance of their initiative as according to #Freeperiods one out of 10 girls can't afford to purchase menstrual products and over 137,000 girls have missed school due to period poverty.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.equaltimes.org/around-the-world-activists-are|title=Around the world, activists are campaigning for menstrual dignity|website=Equal Times|date=September 13, 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-11-15}}</ref>
Within the Global North, tampon activism has been strong and well-supported. Countries are moving forward and either removing tampon taxes or providing free menstrual products. In 2018 the Scottish Government moved forward and became the first country to provide free menstrual products for students at schools and universities.<ref name="auto"/> Additionally, other countries have moved forward in implementing policies around providing sanitary products and abolishing taxes on menstrual products. Kenya and Uganda moved forward and removed taxes on these products. Furthermore, the Kenyan government also provides funding to schools that provide pads.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/22/health/tampon-tax-periods-menstruation-nyt.html|title=It's Not Just the Tampon Tax: Why Periods Are Political|last=Zraick|first=Karen|date=2018-07-22|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-11-15|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
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