Tax on Women's Bodies
By Hannah Kwasnick
In the United States, five out of 50 states consider tampons and sanitary napkins a necessity.
Those five states do not place additional tax on feminine hygiene products; Maine still does. The tax raises the price of tampons and sanitary napkins, making it more difficult for some women to afford. The financial hit gets worse when you consider that women still get paid less than men.
The states that have laws exempting feminine hygiene products from sales tax are Maryland, New Jersey, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Three other states -- New Hampshire, Oregon and Montana -- have no sales tax at all.
California had a chance last spring to join the states that do not penalize women for having periods, but Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the bill that had been passed by state lawmakers.
In 2016, a woman's period still evokes shame and disgust, although it is a completely healthy, biological occurrence. Not only should the stigma surrounding menstruation fade away, but the extra tax on feminine hygiene products, such as pads or tampons, should be removed altogether.
Maine.gov includes a “non-exclusive list of items commonly sold by grocers that are subject to sales tax” where tampons and sanitary pads are listed. The additional tax on these products ranges from 2.9 to 7.5 percent. The federal Federal Food and Drug Administration considers these products to be “medical devices,” meaning they are not absolutely necessary and are equivalent to disease or illness (unlike medicine that treats breast implants, which is exempt from tax). For the 70% of American women that use tampons, this can be pricey (npr.com). Not only does this tax make cost an issue for many women, it also targets menstruation as a choice.
Some experts say the reason this subject has not been reviewed and changed is the dominance of male leaders in politics. Although many important women do work in this field, politics are generally dominated by men. This topic does not always resonate well with most men, making it the opposite of a priority. That being said, some elected leaders have recognized this issue and taken action. Cristina Garcia, a California assembly member, introduced Assembly Bill 1561 in January of 2016 to do just that (washingtonpost.com). This bill would have put an end to the tax on feminine hygiene products in California. Governor Brown vetoed it. Other state legislatures have similar bills pending.
One concern might be “what about the revenue the state will lose?” For example, California would lose $20 million for state government if it eliminated the 7.5% tax on tampons. One way to balance this would be to increase the taxes on other items and products (npr.com). Although other products would see price increases, the overall benefit of not taxing feminine hygiene products would help a vast amount of the population and show recognition for the female body’s needs.
Following through with bills like this would show support for eliminating the stigma of women's periods. In order for this change to be made, more acknowledgement of the female function must be accepted. The average women has 450 periods in her lifetime—it is nothing new. From a young age, girls are taught to hide their period and eventually feel shameful about it. Although money plays a role in this issue, the main focus is fair treatment of female biology. Following the lead of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Minnesota and Rhode Island, which have removed the luxury tax on feminine hygiene products, is the way to go.
By Hannah Kwasnick
In the United States, five out of 50 states consider tampons and sanitary napkins a necessity.
Those five states do not place additional tax on feminine hygiene products; Maine still does. The tax raises the price of tampons and sanitary napkins, making it more difficult for some women to afford. The financial hit gets worse when you consider that women still get paid less than men.
The states that have laws exempting feminine hygiene products from sales tax are Maryland, New Jersey, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Three other states -- New Hampshire, Oregon and Montana -- have no sales tax at all.
California had a chance last spring to join the states that do not penalize women for having periods, but Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the bill that had been passed by state lawmakers.
In 2016, a woman's period still evokes shame and disgust, although it is a completely healthy, biological occurrence. Not only should the stigma surrounding menstruation fade away, but the extra tax on feminine hygiene products, such as pads or tampons, should be removed altogether.
Maine.gov includes a “non-exclusive list of items commonly sold by grocers that are subject to sales tax” where tampons and sanitary pads are listed. The additional tax on these products ranges from 2.9 to 7.5 percent. The federal Federal Food and Drug Administration considers these products to be “medical devices,” meaning they are not absolutely necessary and are equivalent to disease or illness (unlike medicine that treats breast implants, which is exempt from tax). For the 70% of American women that use tampons, this can be pricey (npr.com). Not only does this tax make cost an issue for many women, it also targets menstruation as a choice.
Some experts say the reason this subject has not been reviewed and changed is the dominance of male leaders in politics. Although many important women do work in this field, politics are generally dominated by men. This topic does not always resonate well with most men, making it the opposite of a priority. That being said, some elected leaders have recognized this issue and taken action. Cristina Garcia, a California assembly member, introduced Assembly Bill 1561 in January of 2016 to do just that (washingtonpost.com). This bill would have put an end to the tax on feminine hygiene products in California. Governor Brown vetoed it. Other state legislatures have similar bills pending.
One concern might be “what about the revenue the state will lose?” For example, California would lose $20 million for state government if it eliminated the 7.5% tax on tampons. One way to balance this would be to increase the taxes on other items and products (npr.com). Although other products would see price increases, the overall benefit of not taxing feminine hygiene products would help a vast amount of the population and show recognition for the female body’s needs.
Following through with bills like this would show support for eliminating the stigma of women's periods. In order for this change to be made, more acknowledgement of the female function must be accepted. The average women has 450 periods in her lifetime—it is nothing new. From a young age, girls are taught to hide their period and eventually feel shameful about it. Although money plays a role in this issue, the main focus is fair treatment of female biology. Following the lead of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Minnesota and Rhode Island, which have removed the luxury tax on feminine hygiene products, is the way to go.