Useful resources on Period taxes

We recognise that not all people who menstruate identify as women and girls and that not all women and girls menstruate. However, the vast majority of people who experience menstruation and the challenges that come with it identify as women and girls. That’s why we often refer to women and girls explicitly in our work.

Very poor people may still not be able to afford menstrual products even if a tax reduction or removal is passed on to consumers. To ensure access for all, further measures may be required that can also be complementary to a tax change.

Campaign tip: If the campaign aims to address period poverty, consider looking at other interventions and policy measures to improve access and affordability, such as free menstrual products in schools or distribution schemes for low-income households and homeless people.

As we can see from the research, the removal or reduction of period taxes alone does not necessarily lead to lower product prices. But the fact that it requires additional action doesn’t mean that it is impossible. Ideally, the government and the public will hold producers and retailers accountable and pressure them to pass through tax reduction to consumers. In addition, lower product prices is just one positive effect of tax reduction, alongside triggering broader conversations about gender equality and tackling persisting stigma surrounding menstruation.

Campaign tip: As part of the campaign, get suppliers and retailers to publicly commit to passing the tax reduction through to consumers. If they do, this will help you increase pressure on political decision makers and enable you to hold suppliers and retailers to account. Consider campaigning for products to be zero rated instead of tax exempt if this is possible within your country’s tax system. Read more about this in the Research Report.

Taxes on menstrual products are unfair and gender-discriminatory because these products are basic necessities. We acknockledge that there are other products that should be considered basic necessities and should therefore be tax exempt too. Among them are items used by males. But that is another conversation which shouldn’t derail governments from taking action on period taxes now.

Campaign tip: Be open but insist that it is time to scrap period taxes, even if there are other products that require tax revisions.

When considering individual products, taxes account for a small fraction of the price. But counted over a year or over a woman's lifetime, it adds up to a significant sum of money, especially for poorer women and girls. In addition to the financial aspect, the tax is a manifestation of gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls.

Campaign tip: Draw attention to the fact that period taxes are unfair and gender discriminatory, no matter how high or low they are.