Home   >   Feature   >   Why tampon tax removals haven’t worked

Why tampon tax removals haven’t worked

By on June 2, 2023

By Ashley Jiang, Diana Baptista | Thomson Reuters Foundation Newsroom / Context

Published: May 24, 2023 – Watch Video Here

What’s the context?

At least 18 countries have scrapped taxes on sanitary products – but the price cuts are not always being passed on to women

Twenty years ago, Kenya did something no other country had done before – it removed the sales tax on period products. The move was supposed to reduce the price of these essential items in a country where two-thirds of women and girls cannot afford them. Kenyan authorities received global praise and dozens of countries followed suit. But results were mixed.

READ MORE: How the fight against the tampon tax failed to fix period poverty

READ MORE: What is the tampon tax and which countries have axed it?

Context spent months analyzing data from Kenya and around the world to understand whether removing tax leads to greater access to period products. We found tax cuts alone did not necessarily lead to price drops.

This video is part of a series supported by the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

Context is powered by the Thomson Reuters Foundation Newsroom.

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles

 

About simply...woman!

We encourage spreading the message of knowledge and wisdom. We appreciate and thank our featured partners for their articles. All information provided on Simply…Woman online magazine is for reference only; the content is based on the authors’ experiences and therefore is not intended as a substitute to the services of a fully qualified professional. Although every reasonable effort is made to present current and accurate information, Simply…Woman makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information.