WHAT DO WE WANT?
MENSTRUAL EQUITY.
WHEN DO WE WANT IT?
NOW!
The menstrual cycle has always been in the forefront of politics. With the National Public Radio, radio based in United States, dubbing 2015 as “the year of the periods”, many issues have been arising with how the world views and manages the menstrual cycle if women.
There’s a chance you may not be familiar with what menstrual equity is, but once you know, there’s an even bigger chance of you supporting it.
After being forced to experience periods and the symptoms with it, you would definitely agree having your periods is not a luxury. While this might be true for most of the women not all of us feel this way.
Menstrual equity is a multi-faceted solution for women all around the world.
At the basis of menstrual equity is to destigmatize the menstrual cycle. During the campaign for the 2016 presidential election of the United States, present president Donald Trump associated debate host Megyn Kelly’s aggressive questioning as a “side effect” to having her periods with his “there was blood coming out of her wherever” comment.
The fact that a comment like that from a candidate didn’t affect his campaign at all is more of a reason that we need menstrual equity now more than ever.
Still to this day people hesitate to use words such as periods, vagina, tampons, etc. It is the stigma that causes women to deal with the medical inequality of coping with their periods and the taboo behind menstrual cycle seems particularly frustrating when it comes down to money.
Most medications and medical products are tax exempt, but why aren’t feminine hygiene products? – MONEY
Women can choose between pads, tampons or menstrual cups but they can’t choose whether or not to pay what many people have dubbed the “pink tax”.
In many countries you’ll find the pink tax, due to which women pay 42% more a year than men for essential products like tampons and pads.
What is more frustrating that medicine targeted towards men such as erectile dysfunction drugs are tax exempt while female hygiene products used for menstruation are not.
When you hear outcries about inequality, you’ll often hear the argument that the underdog wants the advantage. As women, we just want what’s fair. While women are forced to take the brunt of taxes on their products, it would be easier to find Rogaine and Viagra, products catered to men, tax-free.
A tax on feminine hygiene products is an unfair tax on half the population, and hopefully, this comes to an end. And hopefully, it’s a insight.
youthactivistsleadershipcouncil 
Don’t get frustrated because medicines targeted towards men are tax exempted. MEDICINES that only applies to females are also tax exempted. Viagra is tax exempted not because it explicitly is a male product but because it is a DRUG.Yes, because, it is a drug. There is context for how that disparity(the one you mentioned) came to exist.So the argument is not valid! When talking about ‘menstrual equity’ it is not right to use the logic of comparison(especially when the government sees the two as falling into two different categories of commodities) but instead it might help to work out on how pads, tampons, menstrual cups as a product that is needed every month and needs replacement in every few hours for maintenance of health can be tax exempted.
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Thank you for your valuable words. We do appreciate your comment and take it into consideration. This is a perspective- a lens through so kindly do take that into account as well.
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