Maltese MEP Josianne Cutajar Fights For Free Menstrual Products In Parliament
MEP Josianne Cutajar along with many other European Parliament colleagues has been successful in a joint campaign putting pressure on the EP to offer free available menstrual products for those visiting Parliament buildings across Europe.
“Menstrual safety should be a collective issue precisely because it is a matter of basic hygiene, health, and dignity,” said the Labour MEP, in response to this announcement.
“Many women who visit us in the European Parliament – amongst whom are young people and students and workers themselves – do not always have access to these products as a result of many factors, and therefore I welcome this development in the most positive way.”
On a local level, the government has sought to “eliminate the stigma surrounding menstruation, and teach people that this is a natural process”.
On a corporate level, a group of companies announced earlier this year that they would introduce paid period leave for employees whose periods result in a debilitating lot of pain or discomfort – which is the case for a large proportion of people.
One of the government strategies in this line has been to announce that during the upcoming academic year, menstrual products will be freely available in secondary schools.
At the same time as this secondary school announcement was made, the government also said that they were considering the option of reducing the VAT on menstrual products to the “lowest possible rate”.
This was a reaffirmation of a commitment made in the previous year. We have yet to see it come into force. These products remain subject to the standard VAT rate of 18%.
Certain goods and services are taxed at 7% or 5%. In that 5% category are products such as “confectionery and other edible items”, “supply of electricity” and “admission to museums, art exhibitions, concerts, and theatres”.
Periods are currently taxed at a higher rate than going to a museum.
Though the announcement of the EP providing free menstrual products, for MEPs and those attending Parliament buildings, is a victory, it should not be overemphasised if the ultimate aim is to “end period poverty”.
The most effective strategy for taking on poverty is not usually found in delivering aid to the privileged.
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