In 2014, whilst studying international relations at Goldsmiths, University of London, Laura Coryton started the ‘Stop Taxing Periods. Period.’ The campaign, a global movement aiming to make menstrual products exempt from VAT.
Since 1973, sanitary products have been taxed in the UK, as the government deems them as ‘non-essential’ items (for reference- crocodile meat, alcoholic jellies, Viagra, houseboat moorings and private helicopter maintenance are not taxed as they are ‘essential’ in the eyes of the government). The VAT of menstrual products was originally at 17.5% but lowered to 5% in 2000.
This was by no means a new battle when Laura entered the scene; feminists had been pushing back against this injustice pretty much since it was put in place – it was their hard work that got it lowered by Labour MP Dawn Primarolo at the turn of the millennium. But, 5% is still 5% too much when it comes to basic hygiene necessities and so Laura set up a petition online which gained over 320,000 signatures and worldwide recognition.
Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints. One in ten women between 14 and 21 cannot afford menstrual management products in England and over 137,000 children miss school due to period poverty every year. The effects of tampon tax in the UK undeniably contribute to these numbers – it’s a glaring example of systemic misogyny.
In the 2015 general election, when prompted by the Independence party, former Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I wish we could get rid of this… [but] there’s a problem with getting rid of VAT on certain individual issues because of the way this tax is regulated and set in Europe.”. He also commented that the campaign was a ‘long-standing’ and complicated issue within the EU. However, the Republic of Ireland (both a European country and a member of the EU) has no tax whatsoever on any feminine hygiene products.
In March 2016, Stop Taxing Periods succeeded when parliament accepted a tampon-tax-ending amendment proposed by MP Paula Sherriff. It was expected to go into effect in 2018 but did not, ‘due to Brexit complications’. As of March 2020, the government has declared that the tampon tax will be abolished at the end of the transition period for Britain leaving the EU- supposed to come into effect January 2021.
That being said, the fight is far from over. The Stop Taxing Periods campaign sparked an international awareness of the issue, which affects most countries around the world. In Denmark and Sweden, the VAT on menstrual products is over 20%, in Hungary the tax is 27%, but Canada dropped its tax in 2015 and Australia, India and Malaysia followed in 2018. The lasting example of Stop Taxing Periods and the continued activist work from Laura Coryton (who is now the author of ‘Speak Up!’, a book aiming to advise and empower young girls interested in politics) has paved the way for conversations and action about this scarily relevant issue.
