
It’s Not Just the Tampon Tax: Why Periods Are Political - 0xbxd
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/22/health/tampon-tax-periods-menstruation-nyt.html
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cimmanom
Startups struggling to hire and retain women: stocking feminine hygiene
supplies in your bathrooms is one small inexpensive change you can make that
will make a meaningful difference in quality of life for the women in your
office.

It’s a great way to show that you care and are thinking about their needs. And
when women visit to interview and make a stop at the restroom, they WILL
notice.

If your space has its own bathrooms and you’re already providing free snacks
and sodas, there’s no good excuse not to do this.

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jbob2000
Counter argument: the generic hygiene products that most companies would stock
would get rarely used because they aren’t the preferred size/brand or don’t
have needed features. And software shops are often in cities where a local
drugstore is right around the corner, where people can get their preferred
products.

Spend the money on cleaning the washroom 3x a day instead. That will make
people happy at all times of the month. And provide employees with lockers or
a large drawer to store whatever personal products they may need.

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cimmanom
They may not be the preferred products, and they may not get used often - but
by god, when you need them you need them. When your period starts a day
earlier than expected and you have to be in a meeting in two minutes, you’ll
take what you can get, and go around the corner to the pharmacy later.

The rest of that (cleaning the bathrooms frequently and giving employees
private storage space) should be a given anyway and isn’t mutually exclusive
with providing hygiene products in the restroom. And the tiny amount of money
you’d save by not providing those products isn’t going to go very far towards
accomplishing those other goals.

~~~
jbob2000
Fair points. It doesn’t cost much, so why not!

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Shivetya
Removing taxation of them as medical devices makes sense, additional tax
credits towards the purchase seems a reach as does requiring employers beyond
a certain size to provide them. that should last entry should be covered by
the medical plan. that does not mean they should not stock them in employee
rest rooms for making work life stresses easier to cope with because there are
just "those" days. What needs legislation is guaranteeing women access to
facilities to take care of menstrual needs should that arise during work
hours.

the fact that we need intervention to get jails to treat prisoners of any sex
humanely is ridiculous and those bills focusing on that element need to fast
track separately and quickly. state and county run facilities are some of the
worst because they hide behind sovereign immunity and their officials use
qualified immunity to skirt helping inmates.

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eevilspock
Here are the highlights from the Twitter discussion linked in the article:

 _My office bought tampons for female visitors and our staff. Then we got an
email from @HouseAdmnGOP telling us we couldn’t use funds to purchase a
necessary hygiene product. That’s ridiculous._

 _Would @HouseAdmn also say you shouldn’t buy facial tissue for those in the
office who sneeze or have runny nose? Who pays for toilet paper on Capitol
Hill? Thank you, @RepSeanMaloney, for yr efforts towards gender equity in
workplace + elimination of #periodstigma cc @jweisswolf_

 _In more than 22 states, feminine hygiene products like tampons are taxed,
while rogaine and Viagra are not. Please help shine the spotlight and THANK
YOU on behalf of women._

 _BUT YOU CAN USE FUNDS TO PAY THE LEGAL FEES FOR THEM FOR THEIR SEXUAL
HARASSMENT CASES????? WHITE MALE PRIVILEGE????_

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devnonymous
Coincidentally India just abolished the GST (goods and services tax, similar
to VAT in EU) for sanitary napkins (which from a male Indian un-clued
viewpoint, appear to be more preferred than tampons in India).

It was a very humbling experience when I first learned about and subsequently
saw the effect of periods with women that I knew. It's absolutely amazing that
women go through this every month and society doesn't treat this as an
achievement! If men had to go through something similar, I'd bet there be a
day for commemorating the sacrifices all men around the world make!

~~~
cup-of-tea
I can't think of much more condescending than applauding women for dealing
with a completely normal fact of life. Women could applaud themselves for it,
but they don't because they just get on with it. Should we also applaud men
for dealing with problems unique to men? Or maybe applaud all of us for
dealing with colds and flus every year?

If you're a man, focus on problems unique to men or common to all of us. 50%
of the population are women and they can focus on the problems unique to
women.

~~~
devnonymous
Why is applauding something I honestly find applause worthy condescending? I
said what I said because I can honestly say if everything about me were to
remain the same except for going through monthly periods, I wouldn't just be
able to 'get on with it'.

Periods, pregnancy, child birth all are a part of life and yes women get on
with these but that doesn't make it less amazing and saying so isn't
condescension, it's admiration.

As for colds and flus, yay! for all those champs who weather them like heros!
I have the good fortune to not have them with the yearly (or more) frequency
that some people have.... But its not the same thing as periods.

~~~
cup-of-tea
> I said what I said because I can honestly say if everything about me were to
> remain the same except for going through monthly periods, I wouldn't just be
> able to 'get on with it'.

You have absolutely no reason to believe that. In fact I am certain that if
you developed some regular discomfort you would definitely "get on with it".
Do you really think you are less capable than half of the population?

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franga2000
Is it impossible to do anything these days without stupid buzzwords and
catchphrases? "menstrual equity", "tampon tax", "period poverty"... I agree
with the points of the people behind this, but this just makes me take them
less seriously. Say it like it is: "We want menstrual hygiene products to be
exempted from sales tax and mandatory in all public restrooms". No sane person
is going to argue against that.

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tobyhinloopen
My glasses are necessary too but I still pay (sales) taxes on them.

And food. And water.

Where is the line drawn?

~~~
cimmanom
Many places do not collect sales tax on food. In NYC, for instance, prepared
foods are taxed but general groceries are not.

And you’re free to lobby for lifting taxes on glasses. I’d support that.

The argument against sales tax on feminine hygiene products is that its
punitive towards and entire class of people. It’s especially difficult for
women in or on the edge of poverty.

People who are already struggling to choose between food and rent or food and
utilities can’t easily afford and extra $25/mo to keep from bleeding all over
their clothes. Adding $2 in tax on top of that can mean forgoing another two
meals.

I’ve spoken to women who would just stuff their underwear with toilet paper
from their workplace bathrooms and pray they didn’t leak through, because they
couldn’t afford anything more reliable.

This is something men don’t have to worry about, and unfortunately it’s still
almost entirely men writing the laws about what gets taxed.

