Tampon tax: how it was abolished in Scotland

After many promises and back-and-forth, the tampon tax has been increased again, and from January 1, 2024, it will apply to 10 percent of these products. As if they were luxury items. Hence the resumption of the collection of signatures to abolish it, through the petition "Stop the tampon tax: menstruation isn't a luxury.“, launched on Charge.org. The goal is to reach at least one million signatures. The savings for women, once this waste is eliminated, would be very significant. A woman has approximately 450 menstrual cycles in her lifetime and uses between 10 and 14 sanitary pads, while the annual per capita expenditure on this widely consumed product exceeds a thousand euros. This is why in some countries sanitary pads for women have become free. As in the case of Scotland. In November 2020, the Parliament of the Scotland approved, unanimously, the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill, the law that guarantees the free distribution of sanitary towels and menstrual hygiene products to anyone in need. A historic decision This made Scotland the first country in the world to pass such a measure. In the United Kingdom, the so-called "tampon tax" is currently set at 5%.

Free sanitary pads for women in Scotland

(Photo credits: Monica Lennon/Facebook)

An initiative led by Scottish Labour Party MP, Monica Lennon, to combat the so-called "period povertyA study by Plan International UK, a women's rights organization, found that 10% of girls between the ages of 14 and 21 in the UK cannot afford sanitary pads, while 15% struggle to buy them, and 14% ask a friend for them because they are too expensive. Because of this situation, thousands of girls are forced to miss classes during their periods. To curb this problem, in 2018 Scotland decided to distribute free sanitary pads in all schools and universities. And the pandemic has only made the situation worse: according to research by the group "Women for Independence," in recent months, almost one in five women has experienced "period poverty". "A signal to the world that free universal access to menstrual products can be achieved"This is how Monica Lennon described the measure. The initiative will cost the Scottish government approximately £9,2 million a year and will allow pharmacies, schools, universities, health clinics, and sports clubs to distribute free feminine hygiene products. Each county will decide the system through which sanitary products will be distributed to all women, in a simple manner and while also taking into account the individual's privacy. Meanwhile, some establishments, such as restaurants and pubs, have also begun providing sanitary products free of charge and independently.

The tampon tax in Europe

Italy remains among the European countries with the highest tax burden regarding the tampon taxHungary fares worse than us, with a VAT on sanitary towels at 27%, followed by Croatia, Denmark, and Sweden at 25%, and Finland at 24%. In the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Lithuania, the VAT on sanitary towels stands at 21%. Greece follows at 13%, Austria and Slovakia at 10%. Positive news, however, comes from Germany, where, in 2020, the VAT on sanitary towels will be reduced from 19% to 7%. In Poland, the VAT is 8%, in Belgium, Portugal, and the Netherlands it is 6%, in France 5,5%, in Cyprus 5%, while Ireland has zero tax on sanitary towels (The country intervened before the EU directive.) In Great Britain, where, as already mentioned, the "tampon tax" is currently 5%, part of the tax revenue is donated to support associations that defend women's rights.

The tampon tax around the world

In the rest of the world, however, theAustralia It has equated sanitary pads with essential goods, significantly reducing the cost of sanitary pads. The measure only concerns tampons and sanitary towels, but currently does not include other products such as menstrual cups and special underwear. Canada, on the other hand, already in 2015 eliminated the tax not only on tampons and sanitary towels but also on menstrual cups. The country that led the way was the KenyaIn 2004, the government abolished the sanitary pad tax and provided them free of charge to female students. Finally, since 2016, New York City, where the VAT is 15%, has provided free sanitary pads to female students in all public schools.

Read also:

• Sanitary pads: the best alternatives to expensive and polluting disposable pads.

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