The Tampon Tax

Imagine being in a position where you can give £12 million to charities working with women who have been domestically abused. That would be good, right?

Now imagine that you decided that if women wanted that support they would have to pay for it themselves. Sounds like a bit of a rubbish thing to do.

That is what this week’s budget announced.

According to the Metro, ‘The 5 per cent VAT on women’s sanitary products dubbed the ‘Tampon Tax’ will go to several women’s charities including White Ribbon and Breast Cancer Care, George Osborne has said.’

This, quite predictably, caused outrage.

Government is basically saying: “pay to be a woman and we’ll use that money to stop men hitting you lot” #tampontax #Budget2016

— Amy Blumsom (@amyblumalum) March 16, 2016

I repeat my comments that it is not responsibility of women to finance their own domestic violence support with a “tampon tax” #Budget2016

— Ellie Mae O’Hagan (@MissEllieMae) March 16, 2016

I don’t see why people are celebrating the tampon tax? Tax people who menstrate, to help women beaten by men…

— Shippy (@Shippygem) March 16, 2016

I can’t say I’m surprised by these Tweets (or the hundreds of others like them).

From what I remember of sex ed at school and what I’ve picked up in life (and please correct me if I’m wrong) women don’t choose to have periods. They are a monthly reminder that you are not pregnant. I have seen them described as ‘Satan’s waterfall’.

Some may be glad that the money raised from the tampon tax (which isn’t actually called that) is going to charities aimed at women – not all of which are domestic abuse charities. I am sure Mr Osborne is thankful that a tax on the wealthy has not become needed because this is there instead.

Well done to all the menstruating women in the UK for our kind support of women’s charities via the unfair #tampontax. #Budget2016 @WEP_UK

— Feminist Mum (@femumism) March 16, 2016

I feel instead of taxing vital sanitary products we could tax other things. Perhaps aircraft maintenance, crocodile meat, houseboat mooring, bingo, ostrich meat, the lottery, funeral planning, freight containers, caravans, leaflet printing, gold investment, insurance.

You know what, I’d quite happily pay VAT on the maintenance of my Boeing 747 because if I can afford a jumbo jet I can afford to pay VAT when getting someone to repaint it.

Or maybe Google, Amazon and Starbucks could find a bit of spare change to give to charity instead…