“Instead of sanitary pads, we use cloth which is made by our mother using old handkerchiefs and used clothes. It feels very uncomfortable, causes rashes and itching, restricts free movement, and we always have to be conscious of it. Even washing and drying the cloth is cumbersome, as we have to constantly rub hard to remove the dark stains without privacy at home. Also, it leads to stains on her pants, so it becomes very humiliating while we go to the washroom.”

This statement made by a girl from a slum in Delhi’s Kalkaji area is the story of thousands and thousands around the world who suffer ‘period poverty’ – a lack of access to Menstrual products, education, hygiene facilities and waste management. In fact, the World Bank in a report in May 2022 wrote, “In total, an estimated 500 million lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management (MHM).”

Activists across the globe complain that for a large number of the population, sanitary pads are an expensive item owing to Tampon taxes imposed by the State. It is because of this that women suffer during their menstruation cycle, with some even resorting to using sawdust, dry tree leaves, ash, and old newspapers.

As we gear up for Menstrual Hygiene Day – on 28 May – we take a closer look at what exactly is a tampon tax and which countries have abolished it? Where does India stand on the issue? Here’s what we know.

What’s a tampon tax?

Tampon tax is a term used for the tax imposed on menstrual hygiene products by a government. This means they have a value-added tax or sales tax, whereas items such as other essential health purchases like prescriptions, some over-the-counter drugs, clothes in some regions, toilet paper, condoms, and groceries are typically tax-exempt.

The tampon tax is also known as the “pink tax,” a term used to describe a form of gender-based discrimination named for marketing the colour pink toward women.

According to a report by The Global Citizen in 2021, average American woman will experience 450 periods and pay between $100 (Rs 8,262) and $225 (Rs 18,600) in tampon taxes over her lifetime.

Critics of tampon taxes argue that tampons, sanitary napkins, menstrual cups and comparable products constitute basic, unavoidable necessities for women, and any additional taxes are unfair and discriminatory. As Cristina Garcia, the former Southern California Democrat – who had introduced legislation in the American state to repeal tampon tax in 2016, said: “These products are a basic necessity that should not be taxed; it’s especially unjust since the tax only impacts women who are already suffering on the wrong end of the gender wage gap. Basically we are being taxed for being women.”

Which countries have abolished tampon tax?

If you thought the United States or United Kingdom or some country in the western world was the first to abolish tampon tax, think again. In 2004, Kenya was the first country across the globe to get rid of tampon tax. And since then other countries have followed suit with a Thomson Reuters research saying 17 countries have removed the discriminatory tax.

Next after Kenya was Canada in July 2015. The Canadian government recognised sanitary products as an essential item, ending the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on all sanitary products. The historic step was taken after an online petition organised by Canadian Menstruators, an online advocacy group, received thousands of votes on the matter and it was presented to the Federal Government of Canada in Ottawa.

It was only in 2016 that the European Union allowed member states to choose whether they want to subject women to a tax on their tampons and sanitary pads. This has enabled a few countries like Italy and others to reduce the VAT or remove it completely.

In UK, the move to eliminate the five per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on the cost of period products came after Laura Coryton, a student, led a campaign on the issue and accumulated more than a quarter of a million signatures. In 2022, Scotland became the first nation to make tampons and sanitary pads free and available at designated public places such as community centres, youth clubs and pharmacies.

Also read: Why Scotland is providing free sanitary napkins and tampons

Other countries which have removed taxes on menstrual products are Australia – they repealed the 10 per cent tax on tampons and pads on 1 January 2019. Similarly Colombia also struck off their five per cent tax on tampons in 2018. The country of Belize also announced that from April it would be eliminating General Sales Tax on feminine hygiene products.

What about India’s tampon tax?

India scrapped its tax on menstrual products in 2018 following months of campaigning by activists. Prior to the abolition of the tax, there was a 12 per cent GST levied on menstrual hygiene products.

Piyush Goyal, the then acting finance minister of India, had said on the decision, “The country’s sisters and mothers will be happy to hear that sanitary pads have been given a 100 per cent exemption and brought down to a tax rate of zero. Now there will be no tax on sanitary pads.”

The decision to scrap the GST on menstrual hygiene products came after several activists had questioned the government on the move, with then Congress lawmaker Sushmita Dev launching a petition that received more than 4,00,000 signatures.

“This was a most-awaited and necessary step to help girls and women to stay in school, their jobs, to practise proper menstrual hygiene,” Surbhi Singh, founder of Sachhi Saheli, a charity that raises awareness on menstrual health, had said.

Amar Tulsiyan, founder of Niine Movement, had also hailed the decision as “a big win for everyone” in India, where, he said, 82 per cent women and girls have no access to sanitary pads.

In India, periods are one of the leading reasons why girls drop out of education in India, while many others are forced to stay at home because they can’t access sanitary products.

Even today, sanitary products remain out of reach for several women in India, with a study conducted by Indian Institute of Public Health, Bhubaneswar (IIPHB) showing that 37 per cent in Odisha alone can’t afford to buy sanitary products.

Also read: Menstrual hygiene awareness: How it is related to period positivity

The latest National Family Health Survey report also showed that about 50 per cent of women aged 15-24 years still use cloth for menstrual protection.

What about the US?

Several states in America continue to impose a tampon tax. According to TaxFoundation.org, there are 12 states where feminine hygiene products are not taxed under a state’s sales tax. Five states —Alaska, Delaware, New Hampshire, Montana, and Oregon — do not have sales tax. Seven states specifically exempt feminine hygiene products — Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Activists and numerous non-profits argue that this is discriminatory and that all tampon taxes should be abolished across the country. As Damaris Pereda, national programs director of global nonprofit Period told USA TODAY, “Period products are actually a medical need. They’re a necessity and everyone should have access to them, just like basic food and shelter. It’s a matter of human rights.”

Also read: No Period Talk: Why Florida wants to restrict menstruation discussions at school

And this sentiment is being shared by more people each day in the US. On Tuesday itself, Texas House passed a bill repealing the “tampon tax”. If the bill becomes law, Texas will join the slim majority of states that have nixed the sales tax on menstrual products, as well as diapers for adults and children, baby wipes, breast milk pumping products, baby bottles and maternity clothes.

In the past, former US president Barack Obama has also questioned the need for a tampon tax in the US. When YouTube personality Ingrid Nilsen had raised the issue in 2016 in front of the commander-in-chief, he had said: “I have to tell you, I have no idea why states would tax these as luxury items. I suspect it’s because men were making the laws when those taxes were passed.”

It’s time countries see how discriminatory the tampon tax is and repeal it. After all, as Newsweek had once said in their cover story: ‘There will be blood’.

With inputs from agencies

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