"Axe the Tax" by Hannah R.
In the United Kingdom, Parliament is capitalizing off of womens’ menstrual cycles. For every box of tampons purchased, women have to pay a five percent value-added tax extra (BBC). Some may ask why this tax was even put into effect, but the answer is simple. Countries always need more money, and most women will always buy feminine hygiene products. So why not impose a tax on something women can’t change and will always need?
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) categorizes these products as "non-essential, luxury" items. But how has personal sanitation for women become a privilege and not a basic human need? As Guardian writer Suzanne Moore sardonically remarks, “...tampons are our little treat, aren’t they? We spoil ourselves silly with such luxury.” Women who “indulge” in female sanitation products like tampons and pads are only trying to take care of themselves to still live productive lives, and with hygiene in mind.
While female hygiene supplies are taxed and labelled as “unnecessary” items, other actual items that we commonly consider luxuries evade this tax. As anti-Tampon Tax petitioner Laura Coryton points out, items such as "edible sugar flowers", "alcoholic jellies" and "exotic meats including crocodile and kangaroo" are not being taxed as luxuries. Mens shaving razors are also not included in this non-essential tax. These items that are not taxed are all clearly more unecessary than womens’ tampons, pads, and more.
To make matters even worse, large amounts of Tampon Tax money being collected is going to an anti-abortion group called Life. Life pushes pronatalist policies, many of which have been controversial in the past. The U.K. government has confirmed that it will be donating £250,000, or around $335,970, to this campaigning group. Many womens’ groups and Members of Parliament have protested this donation; other organizations for women lost the funding bid to Life.
The problem with funding anti-abortion group Life is that it will only push one thing: ending abortion altogether. Women feel that if Tampon Tax is a tax on their bodies, and that the quarter of a million should be spent on an organization that better supports all choices for all women. Funding life is like funding a single motive. Funding an option-friendly organization invites all women to be educated in all of her choices.
This tax on feminine hygiene products is only a recent example of gender injustice. Womens’ sanitary products are not optional, but the male-dominated parliament believes so. As Obama once said about the Tampon Tax, “...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." Obama was completely right. Men are having more of a say in these taxes that affect women than actual women do. According to Huffington Post, “Women are a majority in life but a minority in Parliament. Of 650 Members of Parliament Ps only 191 are women. Men outnumber women by more than 2:1.” Women are not being allowed enough say in issues that directly affect them, hence terribly sexist but legal things like the Tampon Tax. The misuse of funding to Life could have also been prevented if more women had a better say in how to most efficiently help other women. The United Kingdom should listen to the hundreds of female protesters and do the following things: Eliminate the Tampon Tax as soon as possible and instead tax actual “luxury” items. The funding for Life should be cut and given to an organization dedicated to better educating women about sex and all the options that follow in the wake of becoming pregnant. And lastly we should acknowledge that women have necessary items that aren’t just privileges for those who can afford tampons, pads, and other hygiene products. And, most importantly, if we ever want to get rid of gender inequality as a whole, we must strive for better representation of both sexes anywhere and everywhere.
Above: A protestor advocating the end of the Tampon Tax.
While female hygiene supplies are taxed and labelled as “unnecessary” items, other actual items that we commonly consider luxuries evade this tax. As anti-Tampon Tax petitioner Laura Coryton points out, items such as "edible sugar flowers", "alcoholic jellies" and "exotic meats including crocodile and kangaroo" are not being taxed as luxuries. Mens shaving razors are also not included in this non-essential tax. These items that are not taxed are all clearly more unecessary than womens’ tampons, pads, and more.
To make matters even worse, large amounts of Tampon Tax money being collected is going to an anti-abortion group called Life. Life pushes pronatalist policies, many of which have been controversial in the past. The U.K. government has confirmed that it will be donating £250,000, or around $335,970, to this campaigning group. Many womens’ groups and Members of Parliament have protested this donation; other organizations for women lost the funding bid to Life.
The problem with funding anti-abortion group Life is that it will only push one thing: ending abortion altogether. Women feel that if Tampon Tax is a tax on their bodies, and that the quarter of a million should be spent on an organization that better supports all choices for all women. Funding life is like funding a single motive. Funding an option-friendly organization invites all women to be educated in all of her choices.
This tax on feminine hygiene products is only a recent example of gender injustice. Womens’ sanitary products are not optional, but the male-dominated parliament believes so. As Obama once said about the Tampon Tax, “...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." Obama was completely right. Men are having more of a say in these taxes that affect women than actual women do. According to Huffington Post, “Women are a majority in life but a minority in Parliament. Of 650 Members of Parliament Ps only 191 are women. Men outnumber women by more than 2:1.” Women are not being allowed enough say in issues that directly affect them, hence terribly sexist but legal things like the Tampon Tax. The misuse of funding to Life could have also been prevented if more women had a better say in how to most efficiently help other women. The United Kingdom should listen to the hundreds of female protesters and do the following things: Eliminate the Tampon Tax as soon as possible and instead tax actual “luxury” items. The funding for Life should be cut and given to an organization dedicated to better educating women about sex and all the options that follow in the wake of becoming pregnant. And lastly we should acknowledge that women have necessary items that aren’t just privileges for those who can afford tampons, pads, and other hygiene products. And, most importantly, if we ever want to get rid of gender inequality as a whole, we must strive for better representation of both sexes anywhere and everywhere.
Works Cited
Britton, Alexander. “Anti-Abortion Charity to Receive Money from Tampon Tax.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 29 Oct. 2017, www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tampon-tax-anti-abortion-group-towels-a8025851.html.
Butterly, Amelia. “Why the 'Tampon Tax' Is Here to Stay - for a While at Least - BBC Newsbeat.” BBC News, BBC, 9 Feb. 2015, www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/31299254/why-the-tampon-tax-is-here-to-stay---for-a-while-at-least.
Moore, Suzanne. “A Tampon Tax Is Bad Enough. Using It to Fund Anti-Abortionists Is a Disgrace | Suzanne Moore.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 3 Apr. 2017, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/03/tampon-tax-life-anti-abortion-funds.
Quinn, Ben. “Anti-Abortion Life Charity Will Get Cash from UK Tampon Tax.” The Observer, Guardian News and Media, 28 Oct. 2017, www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/oct/28/anti-abortion-life-charity-will-get--tampon-tax-funds#img-1.
Scott, Frances. “Vagina Added Tax Is Because 'Men Were Making the Laws', Says Obama.”HuffPost 
This is very well written! I love the quotes that are included and how you give specific amounts to help emphasize the issue. I can't wait to see what you write about next nine weeks!
ReplyDeleteI loved this! This is a really relevant issue and you did really good on informing us on the issues with it. the quotes were added perfectly and all together you did amazing!
ReplyDeleteThe specifics in this blog are very well put together, the quotes and the facts are very convincing and you did a very good job writing it. It is something that is very well done! I look forward to learning more about it.
ReplyDeleteI am usually cynical about this kind of thing, but there is no argument on whether or not this is blatantly sexist. There is literally no male equivalent of a tampon . This was a very good topic and a very good presentation of the topic. Very well done, Hannah.
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