A student in Sydney, Australia has launched a petition to put an end to Australia’s so-called “tampon tax.” Dag, Australia, chill and stop taxing periods, man.
The petition (“Stop taxing my period”) states that the high tax on these sanitary products puts an unfair financial burden on women in Australia, especially the poor. Subeta Vimalarajah, the petition’s author, is demanding that Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey “remove the unfair tampon tax in the upcoming GST review.”
She writes:
Since 2000, the Australian Government has taxed every menstruating Australian 10% every time we get our period. It is estimated that our periods earn the government a whopping $25 million each year!
And how can a bodily function be taxed? Because the government doesn’t consider the tampons and pads we’re forced to buy every few weeks ‘necessary’ enough to be GST-free.
On the other hand, condoms, lubricants, sunscreen and nicotine patches are all tax-free because they are classed as important health goods. But isn’t the reproductive health and hygiene of 10 million Australians important too?
Vimalarajah also breaks down the economics of this period tax, stating:
...on average women, who make up the majority of people who use sanitary products, earn $262.50 per week less than their male counterparts, and they are also statistically at greater risk of living below the poverty line. Furthermore, this tax disproportionately targets those who may already be disadvantaged, that is the homeless and unemployed.
The petition currently has over 15,000 signatures.
Image via HBO
Contact the author at clover@jezebel.com.