Two British women stood in front of parliament in London last Friday, bleeding freely (sans tampons) in white pants to protest parliament’s recent decision to continue charging a “tampon tax”.
Currently in the UK, tampons and pads are actually considered a luxury item and are being taxed as such, prompting these women to take to the streets.
Charlie Edge and Ruth Howarth, both of England, had simply had enough of the government proclaiming that sanitary products are an optional luxury. They decided to prove just how “optional” the products are and judging by the ruined state of their pants, they’re not optional at all.
According to some research, women can spend up to $28,000 over their lifetime on menstruation products, a ridiculous sum without taxes, which can amount to $2,000. The craziest part about this tampon tax is that when Britain joined the EU in 1973, the tax was 17.5%! It was lower to 5% in 2001, but many are calling any tax absurd.
Props to these girls for taking a stand and quite literally bleeding for a worthy cause.