A petition to make period products VAT-exempt in Malta has been launched.

An EU law introduced in April 2022 gave member states the green light to slash value-added tax on VAT on sanitary products.

However, while some countries have taken steps to reduce barriers to these products since the EU’s decision, only Ireland has fully eliminated the tax.

This petition, launched by The She Word, a podcast dedicated to conversations “women rarely have but should”, is looking to gather support to push the idea to legislative change.

In fact, this comes just after the latest episode of the podcast where guests discussed all things menstruation.

“On average, women will have 450-500 periods over their lifetime, which equals 3,500 days spent menstruating. That’s over 10,000 period products in one lifetime,” the petition read.

“Quite simply, Women have no choice. We HAVE to use sanitary products when we menstruate.”

Women spend around  €675 each year or €27,000 in their lifetimes on menstrual hygiene, according to the European Parliament.

While the issue has made it to Parliament, within the scope of a sexual health policy revamp promised three years ago, nothing has been set in stone yet.

Sign the petition here.

Tag someone who should also sign!