New York City sets a standard for ‘menstrual equality’
- Jul 11, 2016
- 2 min read
Tampon. Sanitary napkin. Panty liner. Period. Just a few years ago, it was rare and even taboo to hear or speak these words in public. Today, they are being written into law.
This opinion article was originally featured in PantherNOW and talks about how states should eliminate taxes on female menstrual products.
Check out the article’s excerpt below and click the link if you want to read the full story!
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Maytinee Kramer/Staff Writer
Tampon. Sanitary napkin. Panty liner. Period. Just a few years ago, it was rare and even taboo to hear or speak these words in public. Today, they are being written into law.
New York has recently stepped out as a leader, in a growing national and global movement for menstrual equity, by being the first state to pass a legislation that provides free feminine hygiene products to students in public schools, homeless women living in shelters and women in jail. The New York City Council voted 49-0 to approve the legislation, and councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, a Queens Democrat and a sponsor of the legislation, called the measure an issue of “menstrual equity.”
States across the country are fighting to eliminate sales tax on menstrual products, which are a basic necessity and should never have been taxed in the first place. However, as states debate whether or not to remove the sales tax, feminine hygiene products remain largely inaccessible in the Unites States. Menstruation isn’t something women can control and menstrual products aren’t a luxury item. Therefore, like New York City, states should put more effort in providing free menstrual products to women in certain settings.
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Photo Credit: Flickr
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