Elizabeth Payne reports on two simple changes that have improved the lives of women and girls: “In January the tampon tax was finally removed in Australia after a long and arduous campaign. Tampons, pads, menstrual cups, maternity pads and menstrual underwear are no longer taxed under GST, saving families suffering financial difficulties precious money each month. … The removal of this tax saves Australian shoppers $30m each year. It also sends a very important cultural message – that sanitary products are and always have been essential, and no one should be financially penalised for something as simple as having a period. Victoria has introduced free pads and tampons in state schools, a national first. Their reasoning was impenetrable: access to sanitary products shouldn’t be a barrier to getting a good education, surely this could be introduced nationwide.” Surely.
29 May 2019