Having regular cramps that make you want to curl up in a ball under the duvet? Mood swings so sudden, endless chick flicks are required? Fear of wearing white trousers for the whole week? … Actually, make that any colour other than black.
It can’t be helped, but we’ve all got to admit, periods are a bit of a pain. But still, women across the world, aged 13-45 on average, power through this slightly frustrating week. Cramps? We got it sorted, stocked up on as much chocolate and hot water bottles as we can manage. Mood swings? We catch up on all that Bridget Jones action. Fear of leakages, or people knowing – we cover that too. We take it in our stride and get on with it!
But that is exactly the point, our period plaguing us once a month is not our choice. We didn’t ever ask for a week of bleeding, never did we suggest we wanted to plan that one week around us bleeding continually! A topic which hits the headlines annually is the renowned Tampon Tax. A tax placed on women’s sanitary items– currently of 5%.
At first, this doesn’t seem so bad when considering that they used to be taxed at 17.5%, and most other items are at 21% VAT. The fact of the matter is, however, why be taxed at all? It wouldn’t be a problem if other items were taxed at the same rate, but how can women stand by and let this go unnoticed and unacknowledged when men’s razors, bicycle helmets, exotic meats and tea cakes….yes that’s right, tea cakes are not taxed and have a zero rating.
So whilst tampons and sanitary pads are classed as “luxury” items and therefore are taxed higher, tea cakes are not?! To view sanitary products as a luxury item seems to imply that it is fair to discriminate against women because of a bodily function they have no control over. This isn’t the first time the issue has been brought up in parliament. This issue opens up an even wider issue that whilst being representative of the country, parliament contains significantly less women than men, and these men still have a problem, in fact it is regarded as a taboo to say words like “tampon” and “vagina”.
We shouldn’t be ashamed to talk about these things, instead we should be actively encouraged to create an open atmosphere where men and women alike can better understand each other, removing the taboo. Periods can be embarrassing and they can be awkward, but by silencing these thoughts, it makes it harder for women to deal with something which effectively impacts upon half the world’s population!
In order to raise awareness, musician Kiran Gandhi ran this year’s London Marathon without wearing a tampon on the first day of her period. She ended the race with leggings soaked with blood – something many women fear on a monthly basis. Recent media exposure has drawn attention to many charities appealing to women to think about those across the world without access to sanitary items or potentially closer to home, with campaigns urging women to buy homeless women sanitary items too. The chief of the UN Human Rights Office on Economic and Social Issues claimed that the stigma around menstrual health was “a violation of several human rights, most importantly the right to human dignity”. It’s true, this is an issue affecting women aged 13-45, so why isn’t more being done to make this easier?
Whilst a treasury spokesman said that the UK’s VAT on sanitary products was at its minimum rate under EU rules, any changes would require a European Commission proposal and the unanimous agreement of all 28 member states. With this, immediate changes are not expected.
So the question is, is it worth continuing this debate which has been brought up again and again? Definitely.
Tampons and pads should not be considered a luxury, but an essential item which every female in the world should have access to. Whilst this debate may not gain its desired effects straight away. It’s challenging taboos, changing people’s persceptions of women, the female body and women’s rights. And that, is definitely worth fighting for.
References:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34638831
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/11/free-tampons-cost-feminine-hygiene-products
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/28/vaginas-parliament-…