How GST Off Fruit And Veges Could Affect Your Menstrual Health

Since its inception, The Period Place has been advocating for big changes to be made to address systemic menstrual health inequity in Aotearoa while also treating the symptoms of period poverty, including donating of over 1.7 million period products nationwide in the last 3 years alone.

“We’ve had some big systems wins, including the Ikura programme that provides access to period products in schools - we petitioned the Government alongside a bunch of awesome Kiwi organisations related to periods for that - and have been working on the ‘period toolkit’ being rolled out by the Ministry of Education for students” says Danika Revell, Cofounder and CEO of The Period Place.

“Now our nationwide Impact Partner Programme is running smoothly thanks to the regular product donations from our partners The Warehouse and U by Kotex, we’re going to be focusing on bigger structural change for menstrual health in Aotearoa.”

Last year, The Period Place began looking at how the removal of GST from period products in New Zealand would impact not shelf prices, but also from a cultural perspective, what that would say about how we view girls, women and gender diverse people who have menstrual cycles here in New Zealand.

“Removing GST from fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, as announced in the Labour campaign policy, opens the door to talk about removing it from period products in the future here. Looking at ways to lower the cost of essential items for individuals and families is only a good thing”, says Danika, “no matter how long it may take to move from discussion to policy, and how long it may take to analyse the social impacts of achieving menstrual equity milestones.”

Part of the candidate selection for new board members of The Period Place this year saw the charity look for people who had lived experience within systems that perpetuate period poverty and varied experience in analysing and changing systems already.

“Our new board members are bloody incredible - we have a sociologist, strategic policy experts, a co-design and programme specalist, a NZ market manager for a global business and a young activist with more energy than I think I have for Intergenertaional Period Equity! Bringing together their varied experience to set our new strategy to look at structural changes for menstrual health, like GST removal and changes to Food and Hygiene legislation is going to make a significant impact in addressing period inequity, or period poverty, more than anything that’s been done so far.”

The Period Place is asking for those around Aotearoa who want to know more about their mahi and get involved, whether students, working in menstrual health or a relatede field, to get in touch - @theperiodplace (all social media channels) or via email danika@theperiodplace.co.nz.

About The Period Place:

The Period Place is Aoeatoa New Zealand’s leading menstrual health charity. Through their pillars of Conversation, Education and Access, they provide menstrual health resources to empower individuals and whanau through nationwide programmes and their journey to achieving their vision of intergenerational period equity for Aotearoa

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