Women all over the world are paying a tax for something they cannot control. The Goods and Service Tax (GST) on tampons and pads varies from 4-9% in the United States to an astounding 27% in Hungary. Some countries have chosen to eliminate the tax on these products, due to the argument that they are essential sanitary items. Products such as condoms, sunscreen, and lubricants are typically exempted from this tax. In Ireland, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Tanzania, Lebanon, Kenya, and recently Canada, this tax has been removed. Activists in countries such as Australia and the UK are leading the way in raising awareness of the need for these items to be affordable for women. In Malesia, there has been a lot of argument about the need to …show more content…
During the 17th century, the lower class came together to create the Sons of Liberty, a group formed to combat the Stamp Tax that was imposed by the British government. I feel that it is important to consider how having equal representation affects a person’s ability to feel like a productive member of society. If the needs of a person are disregarded, this can result in violence such as what was depicted in Paul Revere’s engraving of the Boston Massacre. I believe that when people feel that their survival is threatened, they will react in ways that are irrational and in fear. Although tampons are necessary items for women, there are other programs in place to assist women in poverty with their other needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. Without having access to these programs, I feel that a similar battle would occur between those in poverty, both men and women, and the United States government. The abuse of power used by the British government is an example of disregarding the needs of the people. Feminist movements have begun to speak on the behalf of women across the world and continuing to ignore the importance of women to have access to these sanitary items will only cause more problems further down the road. Although I understand the importance of taxation and how it benefits communities, I also feel that these essential items should be added to the list of items needed to survive. Sanitation is an important aspect of our health and to ignore the need to remove the tax from tampons is endangering the lives of women across the