TLDR: No.
Longer version: Still no, but here’s why.
As of January 1, 2021 the UK removed VAT on sanitary products (pads, tampons, cups etc.) abolishing the “Tampon Tax”. (gov.uk). This didn’t just happen over night but has been a long campaigned for effort, with Stop Taxing Periods, being led by Laura Coryton in 2014.
I’ve bought these products hundreds of times in my life. But I haven’t given the cost of them much thought beyond “these are pretty expensive”. Before proceeding to just buy them anyway. Clearly I’m in a pretty privileged position. The cost for me is more notable than prohibitive, so I have a lot to dig into here. To start, this move by the UK on the surface sounds like a positive move towards making sanitary products accessible to all, but it got me thinking:
- How are sanitary products classified and sold globally? What kind of taxes or costs are women paying that men don’t?
- Is there a “Tampon Tax” here in Canada?
- Is there a “Tampon Tax” back in Ireland?
- Why do we have a “Tampon Tax”?
- Where does the “Tampon Tax” money go?
- What is period poverty?
- Should we have a “Tampon Tax”?
- Should women pay for sanitary products at all?
How are sanitary products classified and sold globally?
In short, it’s different everywhere, only one country offers sanitary products for free (Scotland) with the majority not providing a free public option and adding between 0-27 percent tax on top of privately sold products. Some countries still tax period products as luxury goods with high tax rates (Hungary at 27%), while others classify them as basic necessities with zero or lower tax rates (Ireland at 0%).
The below charts show European and global VAT rates for sanitary products, as of 2018.
Is there a “Tampon Tax” here in Canada?
Because I live in Canada, my next question was “well, what are we paying here??”
As of 2015, Canada doesn’t charge GST on menstrual hygiene products. Member of Parliament Judy Wasylicia-Leis first introduced a bill to add period products to the list of zero-rated products in 2004, saying,
“The GST on tampons and sanitary napkins amounts to gender-based taxation. The taxing of essential and necessary products used exclusively by women is unfair and discriminatory. It unfairly disadvantages women financially, solely because of our reproductive role.”
(Canadian Menstruators)
But it wasn’t until 2015 when a motion calling to remove the tax was debated in the House of Commons and was passed — 258 to 0, finally eliminating federal taxes on sanitary products.
Increasing their efforts to remove unfair disadvantages faced by women. on May 3, 2019, the Government of Canada published a Notice of Intent on the possibility of providing free menstrual products in Canadian workplaces.
In a 2018 study by PlanCanada, on average a reported third of women struggle to afford menstrual products, with over half (55%) missing school or work because of their period. On top of that, 86% of women in a US study reported unexpectedly starting their period in public without supplies, leading to embarrassment and anxiety. Naturally, if in work, this also leads to a disruption of work activities. Not to mention, if you’re in work without access to sanitary products, and have to improvise or prolong use, particularly of a tampon, you’re putting your health in danger with increased risk of toxic shock syndrome.
In my opinion, if your workplace provides toilet paper, soap and water, they should provide sanitary products.
Is there a “Tampon Tax” back in Ireland?
Similar to my Canada question because I’m from Ireland, my next port of call was home and wondering where Ireland stood on the matter. And such is Ireland’s streak with me of late, I was mostly pleasantly surprised. Not delighted, but not embarrassed. Which I’m marking as a win for now.
Ireland isn’t subject to the minimum EU VAT rate on period products and is the only EU member with a zero percent value added tax rate. Ireland passed a motion in the Dáil (2019) and Seanad (2020) to provide free, adequate, safe and suitable sanitary products in all public buildings and more thorough menstrual education in schools.
A 2018 study found that 50% of Irish teenage girls find it difficult to afford sanitary towels and tampons, which cost about €132 annually, and use a “less suitable sanitary product” due to the high cost. Nearly 60 per cent reported classes at school on periods as unhelpful, while six out of ten reported feeling shame and embarrassment about their period.
I’m hopeful that Ireland is moving in the right direction. Should it be further along by now? Absolutely. But in order to tackle period poverty, I think you need to address the mindset of periods in general, remove the taboo, provide education and be able to have an open conversation in public and at government levels about something that is a normal biological function of some women’s lives.
Why do we have a “Tampon Tax”?
As far as I can tell it’s because, ladies and gentlemen, the patriarchy. With some countries having the audacity to classify sanitary products as luxury products rather than absolutely essential to menstruating women, it seems to me that it’s another case of men in power not understanding or prioritising women’s health.
Where does the “Tampon Tax” money go?
In general for most countries, it seems to just go back into the tax system and is distributed accordingly. Some countries (UK) set up dedicated funds from sanitary product sales to fund organisations focused on women.
In 2015, the UK established the “Tampon Tax Fund”, allocating funds generated from the VAT on sanitary products to women’s refuges and domestic abuse charities, to date they’ve raised 15 million pounds. However, this initiative hasn’t been without it’s challenges, in 2017 it was reported that one of the NGOs was an anti-abortion group, so while the concept is ok, clearly execution needed to be ironed out.
How much money does a “Tampon Tax” make?
Taking the UK as an example since they created a “Period Tax Fund”, it is estimated that women pay on average £8 a month for tampons and pads.
Over a lifetime (13-55) they spend over £4,000 on disposable sanitary products alone. This doesn’t include all the other costs associated with being a menstruating woman, like pain medication, muscle relief or replacing stained clothing.
But, if there’s 16 million women in the UK of menstruating age, with each woman spending £96 a year on sanitary products, then women in the UK market spend £1.5 billion annually on sanitary products.
At a tax rate of 5%, the UK should have generated £74 million annually in VAT and yet the “Tampon Tax Fund” only generated £15 million to date? From 2016 – 2020 should it not have generated £296 million? Where did the rest of this money go? Is it just gobbled back into the system? Note to any reader that knows the answer: please comment.
What is period poverty?
According to a UNICEF article, every month, 1.8 billion people across the world menstruate. However, millions of girls, women, transgender men and non-binary people are not able to manage their menstrual cycle in a dignified, healthy way. Period poverty arises when those that need sanitary products cannot afford them, or do not have access to them.
Period poverty affects women globally, from Scotland, – where one in five women were forced to improvise with tissue or old clothing due to the high cost of sanitary products, to Rwanda – where woman and girls were missing work and school due to lack of access to essential products.
Should we have a “Tampon Tax”?
I don’t think so. Sanitary products are an essential item for menstruating women and shouldn’t be classified as anything but that.
Should women pay for sanitary products at all?
The UK have rolled out initiatives to ensure sanitary products are available, free of charge, in schools, colleges and hospitals. (Euronews) Ireland is looking at providing sanitary products in all public buildings. In Scotland, as of 24 November 2020, local authorities have the legal obligation to ensure that sanitary products are available to “anyone who needs them”.
So in theory, if using these countries, particularly Scotland as an example, this can be executed, if prioritized and funded.
So why do countries opt for reducing the tax paid rather than abolishing the cost entirely?
In Spain, the government announced a reduction in VAT from 10% to 4%, according to the average prices of a box on tampons in Madrid, (€4.05). However, a reduction to 4% tax only results in a reduction of 24 cent per box for women. Which, to me, doesn’t really seem like a huge impact at the end of the day. Are these drops in tax a gradual move towards a more gender equal cost of living or is this just lip service, meant to appease a group for a time by passing vanity measures?
A report from South Africa found that:
“applying 0% tax to sanitary products would only have a limited impact on improving women’s access to such products within low income households.”
INDEPENDENT PANEL OF EXPERTS FOR THE
REVIEW OF ZERO RATING IN SOUTH AFRICA
The same report recommended that those in low income households are provided products free of charge. So why is this the action most countries propose to help reduce period poverty?
In my opinion, no one should have to go without sanitary products if they need them. They should be freely accessible to all and priority should be given to ensure that this is the case everywhere. In practical terms, funds to support such an initiative need to come from somewhere. I’m not going to claim to know all the ins and outs of government budget structures or allocations but this seems like a basic necessity that needs to be budgeted for. End of. Period.
The Bailey Rating
Disclaimer: This post is intended to serve as a log of my rambling opinions and tracker of information gathered on a topic. I aim to present accurate, well researched information, citing facts presented to the best of my ability. However, some information may prove to be inaccurate and I encourage you to do your own research on the topic. I’m always open to hearing new information or perspectives on topics posted and aim to keep this post accurate with updated information once discovered or presented to me. Feel free to comment below if you have anything to add 🙂
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