There are actually only little things, mostly woman, anyway in the house. They are already purchased, such as Apples, Shampoo, and toilet paper. And yet: Tampons, Bandages, deposits cost money. It may not be large sums, but it costs, the only people with menstrual. So, especially women, but also TRANS men. And you can pile up.
A few weeks ago, the British Deputy Danielle Rowly caused quite a stir when she said in Parliament: “I have my period. And that has cost me this week, 25 pounds.” She cited a survey showing that British women spend a year 550 Euro (average of EUR 20,500 in the life of) for their period.
The calculation took into account not only Bind the cost of hygiene products such as Tampons, deposits, and menstrual cups. They also included many things which the women said that they needed you during or because of the period: pain pills, chocolate, Chips, magazines, and new underwear, for example. A similar estimate of the Huffington Post comes to 15,500 euros, which spends an average American, in your life, because of the period.
What the period really cost?
For Germany, there are no surveys of the cost of the Menstruation. However, it is known that more than half of the women used in Germany Tampons. A market research study for 2017 revealed.
A calculation example: A large pack with 64 pads of a popular brand cost in the drugstore, about 4.75 euros. Tampons should be changed according to the manufacturer, approximately every six hours, so that makes four Tampons per day, with an average of five days of bleeding that are 20 Tampons per cycle. On average, 456 periods between 13 and 51 years, a woman needs, therefore, 9.120 Tampons. That’s the equivalent of 143 packs, today would cost about 677 euros. Not many of The Tampons that are lost in handbags and on the go including:.
In the case of pads and liners, the price range is similar to that of Tampons. The still relatively new menstrual cups are ten to 15 Euro in a single sale, although more expensive, but can be used time and time again. The manufacturer even speak of five to ten years service life. So they were significantly cheaper than disposable sanitary products.
For a quarter of the women in Germany painkillers regularly come to. A pack of 20 tablets costs between four and ten euros, depending on the brand and the content material. Just for the Essentials – hygiene products and painkillers – are likely to do most of the women in Germany so with a maximum of five euros per period. Because the period is for every woman different, may be of personal value is significantly above or below it. Because some people have very strong pain and bleeding, other remember hardly anything of your menstrual.
“This is already very much”
Five euros does not sound like particularly much. Nevertheless, feminists are fighting to reduce these costs. “For a student or for someone who has just started his training, that is something else than a working woman. Not to mention people who may have no residence,” says Theresa Lehmann, engaged as an activist with the topic of Menstruation. “You could meet women there. Especially when you consider that you can earn in most cases, less.”
Theresa Lehmann
A study by the children’s charity Plan found in 2017, one out of ten girls in the UK could not afford hygiene products. Almost half had missed due to her menstruation already teaching. “Access to hygiene products is the requirement to participate in public life,” says Lehmann. “This is already very much.”
“Bleeding is a luxury!”
The Hartz IV rule set provides for “health care” 15.55 euros in the month. Toothpaste, Allergy pills, doctor visits – all of which is to be paid. There is also a cheap box of Tampons for two euros to the weight. SPD politician Nanna-Josephine Roloff has started, therefore, with a party friend, a Petition requesting to reduce the VAT on sanitary products. Up to now, more than 80,000 people have signed.
Nanna-Josephie Roloff and Yasemin Kotra
Currently, come on Tampons, napkins, panty liners and menstrual cups of the normal 19 percent VAT. Feminists are calling for to change the and tax with the reduced rate of seven percent in the best – such as food, animal feed, and books. The large box of brand tampons would be 48 cents cheaper. “This 19 percent are considered to be luxury tax,” says Roloff. “But why are bleeding because luxury is? It is something, what makes a woman a woman. This is a fiscal discrimination should be abolished.”
Many countries have gone this route already and have abolished the so-called Tampon Tax. In Kenya, Canada, Ireland and, more recently, in India, women are sold to the hygiene article is completely tax-free. Other countries, such as France and the UK, have cut the tax significantly.
And Germany? On request, the financial shall inform the Ministry: A reduced rate of taxation of feminine hygiene products was “permitted, but not mandatory”. The legislators have decided to make use of the possibility. It is not decisive for the classification in a tax rate generally, whether or not a subject of luxury is goods.
Tampons are more luxurious than caviar?
In fact, some products fall under the reduced tax rate, which could be seen as a luxury: painting, collecting coins, cut flowers, caviar. However, a Revision “would require a broad social and political consensus that is, at least currently can be seen”, according to the Ministry.
Exactly this consensus is trying Nanna Roloff bring about. Your Petition is symbolic. However, you and your collaborator want to place the topic in the SPD and in the government of wear. The Jusos have you convinced already. From the Ministry of Olaf Scholz (SPD) is, however, the reduced tax rate was already “not a suitable means to achieve a permanent relief to the Affected”. It could not be ensured that the company would have a lower tax rate is actually far.
An Argument that does not understand Roloff. “Because the tax office rests on the free market. This is a capitalist way of thinking, which is just a joke for a social-Democrat-led Ministry.” The Ministry for family Affairs, senior citizens, women and youth – in-Hand, the SPD does not respond to the question.
“It’s just a matter of perspective and is dominated in the German policy is still very male,” says activist Lehmann.