Only Women Bleed - and Loose out on Education Because of It!

Only women pay taxes on the products they use to deal with menstruation. Sanitary products such as tampons are taxed as non-essential, luxury items at 5%. So are maternity pads.

Yet some "luxury items" are tax exempt such as edible sugar flowers and alcoholic jellies – but not tampons!

It is shocking that period poverty should be happening in 2017 – but it is. Last year it was noted that young New Zealand women were being forced to miss school because they couldn't afford to buy sanitary products.

Although it's difficult to know the extent of the problem, Daryl Evans, from Mangere Budgeting Services, told Seven Sharp late last year that he knew of at least 10 families who were forced to keep their daughters home from school because they couldn't afford sanitary items.

Government is not considering funding for sanitary items at present. Pharmac, however, said it would consider funding sanitary items if an application were made.

Graduate Women New Zealand (GWNZ) urges Pharmac to do just that.

GWNZ President Bernadette Devonport says "Any level of funding support would make a significant improvement towards ensuring young girls and their families are not sacrificing their education to meet the costs of necessary sanitary purchasing"

"Another layer of costs it the issue that tampons, pads and other sanitary items are subject to GST as well" says Devonport.

"It is argued that the practice of taxing sanitary items is discriminatory, and negatively impacts on access to education which is every young women's right. We urge action to address this"

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