UK Abolishes Tampon Tax. Can Other Countries End Menstrual Discrimination Too?

The controversial 'tampon tax' stands abolished in the United Kingdom as of January 1. Sanitary supplies such as tampons, sanitary pads, and menstrual cups were categorised as "non-essential, luxury goods" according to a European Union law and had five percent VAT (value-added tax) to their costs. While the EU is itself in the process of abolishing tampon tax, this decision by the UK is worthy of celebration. Even in the most developed of societies, women have to pay a price for their womanhood. For a biological function of their body. Not anymore. Perhaps this gender-discrimination that women face worldwide, simply because they bleed, will soon come to an end.

The idea of menstruation being covered under biological and scientific excreta has been seen since ages. This was only done to ghettoise it as a woman's issue which placed it an arm-length away from politics. However, menstruation is a natural process for everyone who identifies as a woman. The shame associated with a discussion around it in any average household is a connotation of the literacy which needs to be dispensed throughout the world.

Women worldwide have to fight tooth and nail to have this tampon tax removed because it is not only heavy on their pockets but also is a pure and blatant form of gender-discrimination. Which is why discontinuing tampon tax is a step toward gender equality. In India itself, women and activists had to fight a bitter battle to have sanitary products exempted from Goods and Service Tax of 12 percent. We found success in 2018, however, there are many countries globally where women still pay the tampon tax.

Also Read:How do you Deal with Period Stigma? What is it, and How does it Impact Young Girls?

What has happened in the UK?

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, declared on Wednesday that the tampon tax will be scrapped after the adjustment time for the UK's Brexit expires on Dec. 31, 2020.

This win comes after a war that has been painful and politically sensitive. Campaigners have been urging MPs to lobby against this discriminatory tax for the last 20 years. Labour MP Dawn Primarolo lobbied successfully two decades ago. Her plea was to have the VAT on sanitary goods lowered from 17.5 percent to 5 percent.

In 2014, Laura Coryton learnt that items like Jaffa cakes, crocodile steaks, private jet repairs, and even exotic edible sugar flowers are not listed by HMRC as luxurious items under VAT laws, but sanitary products are.  She released a Change.org petition. It received more than 300,000 signatures. "It is so exciting to hear that tampon tax will finally be axed!" Coryton told Mashable.

What did the journey look like?

In the volatile controversy about whether the UK should continue in the European Union that emerged in 2015, the tampon tax became an unexpected pawn. Under the EU VAT Directive, the government of the United Kingdom has been prohibited from reducing the tax rate on sanitary products by more than five percent. As long as the United Kingdom existed within the EU, the tampon tax could only be lowered to the minimum available rate permissible under EU law. The problem was co-opted by conservative Eurosceptic leaders, and the far-right UKIP party also promised to scrap the tax in an attempt to drive its EU-exit policy in the run-up to the 2015 general election.

Then Chancellor George Osborne revealed plans in November 2015, of using the £ 15 million ($ 22.6 million) raised by the tampon levy to fund charities for women in the UK. Then-Prime Minister David Cameron negotiated an agreement with the EU in March 2016 to abolish the tampon levy. The tax would be abolished after the Brexit transition period has ended on 31st December 2020.

Also Read:8 Ways Moms Can Discuss Periods With Their Daughters

Sexism in the West has to stop leeching off natural bodily processes like periods. Here's hoping that other countries too will abolish the tampon tax which would be a crucial step in ending period poverty and institutional discrimination against women on basis of their gender.

The views expressed are the author's own.