WHY WE SHOULD KEEP THE TAMPON TAX

For a recent English assignment, we had to present an oral surrounding a current debate and I decided to do one on Australia's Tampon Tax. I found this topic to be really interesting and informative to research and speak about - I also really enjoyed it. And through my research, I was able to view the issue in a new light - I hope you read this with an open mind, and maybe see the debate in a new light.

**side note: I am in no way trying to change your opinion about this debate, or trying to tell you what's right and/or better. I am merely sharing my assessment piece which I enjoyed writing, and am proud of. 

A bit of a side note (I promise my transcript is coming soon), though I didn't see it for myself, one of my friends told me that while I was presenting my oral one of my male friends (who is quite awkward when it comes to intimate and personal issues such as this) became really uncomfortable. It probably sounds like I'm a mean friend, I promise I'm not. There's this face that he always makes when he's uncomfortable that is really funny and adorable and whilst doing my oral, I can just imagine him with that face. 

**another side note: if you're scrolling through my old posts, sorry for the font change. I like this one much better :))

TRANSCRIPT

Women dressed up as tampons with the blue string hanging

Women dressed up as menstrual superheroes

And women chanting “Don’t put the PM in PMS Mr Tony Abbott”

All of these protests surrounds the debate of whether female sanitary items such as pads and tampons are considered “luxuries” or necessities, and therefore should be exempt from the ‘Tampon Tax’.

These chants and protests have been occurring since 1999 when the Howard government implemented the ‘Goods and Services Tax’, with female sanitary products on the list, hence the birth of such a taboo topic in parliament... the ‘Tampon Tax’. But as soon as January 2019, the tax on such necessities will be removed… but is this the right decision?

Such items are basic human rights however, there are better ways to overcome this problem and it doesn’t nip the issue at the bud where underneath, lays centuries of stigma and sexism.

“I wrapped a sock around my underwear just to stop the bleeding, because I didn’t want to get shouted at. And I wrapped a whole tissue roll around my underwear, just to keep my underwear dry until I got home. I once taped tissue to my underwear. I didn’t know what else to do.”

This is the reality of so many low-income and/or homeless young girls and women - unable to access and/or afford products that suit their needs, and even the cheapest products can be too expensive, ultimately impacting their hygiene, health and wellbeing.

It revoltes so many of those severely affected that other luxuries such as condoms and lubricants are deemed “necessities” and are exempt from GST, bringing into the light topics such as sexism.

In removing the ‘Tampon Tax’, it aims to make sanitary items more affordable for disadvantaged women and young girls. But what the government and what many people in favour may fail to acknowledge is how ineffective this solution is.

Particularly the wealthy will financially benefit from this tax exemption - only 10 cents will be removed from each purchase which still makes the products unaffordable for disadvantaged women and young girls, whilst putting more money in the wealthy’s pockets. Those still at a disadvantage may turn to government funded services and foundations for aid, such as the one the Victorian Labour government is proposing in this week’s state election. And where will this money come from? In axing the ‘Tampon tax’, the federal government will see 30 million dollars less in their pockets at the end of each financial year.

30 million dollars that can be spent on a more cost-efficient and beneficial solution.

And what is this more cost-effective and beneficial solution?

What if we keep the ‘Tampon Tax’... but use the $30M of GST from sanitary products, to provide free sanitary items for low-income and homeless women, determined by families and individuals who live on welfare services.

The great thing about this solution is that the government does not need to invest more money into this solution as the money comes from GST paid by consumers of sanitary items - this is a cheaper alternative than axing the GST on sanitary items AND the government having to invest more money to provide such necessities for disadvantaged women.

It will also receive much support from consumers, specifically those who may be better off and can afford such products as they know that the extra 10 cents they have to pay is going to a cause that supports their values.

Scotland has recently released a project, becoming the first government to provide free sanitary items in high schools, colleges and universities in an act to fight period poverty - a term popularly used in the UK to describe a lack of access to sanitary items due to financial restraints. This solution is Australia’s way to combat period poverty - and is one that is feasible.

The whole Tampon tax debate aims to combat the lack of accessibility of such products and sexism. However, in axing such a tax, it does not at all address the centuries of stigma and sexism surrounding menstrual cycles.

“Aunt Flo”

“PMS”

and my personal favourite, “It’s THAT time of the month”.

These are only 3 of the 5,000 slang words in 10 different languages we use to refer to menstrual cycles, as conducted in a study by the International Women’s Health Coalition.

Judith Ireland, a freelance journalist who wrote an article about this debate, found a fascination seeing whether male MPs were “brave” enough to say the word “tampon” rather than sanitary or health products. In addition, her male colleagues were highly surprised to find that females need more than 1 of “these” sanitary products per day.

This informal survey alone, conveys the lack of education about the topic and hence, fuels the ongoing stigma and sexism within our society.

Now I’m not saying that we need to implement compulsory menstrual education in our school’s curriculum so that we can fully eliminate all stigmas and sexist comments surrounding this natural phenomenon - but we need a platform such as social media to bring these issues into the light and be more informed and educated about such matters; hence, such knowledge will provoke change and remove the stereotypes surrounding this topic… and maybe we’ll all be able to say the word ‘tampon’ without becoming an awkward mess.

In keeping the Tampon Tax to provide such basic necessities who are disadvantaged, and bringing such issues into the limelight…

We are fulfilling the aims of axing the Tampon Tax in a cost-effective and more beneficial manner for the long run.

So no longer would you see:

Women dressed up as tampons with the blue string hanging

Women dressed up as menstrual superheroes

And women chanting “Don’t put the PM in PMS Mr Scott Morrison”

Thank you.