Why the tampon tax is about more than just periods.

So we found out this week that MPs in parliament voted against the motion for the removal of the 'tampon tax' 305 to 287.  And while it is beyond nonsensical that this is happen, much of the current debate is ignoring the real issues at hand here.

The tampon tax debate is more than just establishing a fair policy for women's sanitation, it's about everything that is wrong with politics - that rich white men are left to make decisions on matters that concern not them, but women who can't afford to have a period. How can we expect politicians to make a considered decision on the tampon tax when the majority of them don't have a uterus?

Article 25 of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights outlines the right to "to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being" and I think it is quite clear that sanitation and female hygiene is an integral part of this basic right. How can we claim to be a developed country when we have policy in place that prevents certain demographics from having access to sanitary products because of their financial situation - namely the working class, homeless and students.

Moreover, despite the fact that Laura Coryton started this petition over a year ago it seems rather unrealistic that MPs have only just found time to discuss this issue but instead is more indicative of the ridiculous taboo of talking about women's bodies.

And it's not about the fact that Jaffa cakes and crocodile meat are taxed at 0%, or that the tax is "only 5%". It's about the fact that we should not class sanitary products as non-essential in policy making, and that we deem talking about periods and women's bodies a taboo, and that the government is commoditising a natural biological process - because all of these things allow the government to capitalise on and continue sexist discourse, whilst ignoring the need to represent and listen to women when making decisions on issues where they are the primary focus.

Articles such as this one by Julia Hartley-Brewer claim the battle is trivial and a detriment to modern feminism when there are bigger fish to fry, but we must consider the wider picture that these protests are fighting. Yes there are larger problems within the system of patriarchal societies and global inequality but surely any symbolic action towards equality is a positive one.

The vote against removing the non-essential item tax on sanitary products should not be a sign that this debate is a case closed to our politicians, but a warning to the government that politics needs to be seriously more representative of the different races and genders that belong in the UK to be able to conduct fairer policy making. Period.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/dont-think-the-tampon-tax-can-be-scrapped-youre-wrong-all-we-need-to-do-is-follow-these-5-steps-10090937.html

 

International Women's Day

So yesterday was International Women's Day - an important date in the calendar if ever there was one! The concept - simply to raise awareness for gender inequality and give the diversity of women that inhabit this beautiful planet a chance to celebrate womanhood. Yet I woke up to a sight to dampen my high spirits as social media presented me with messages questioning the relevance and effectiveness of International Women's Day. Some even wrote to question the non-existence of "International Men's Day" (despite the fact this was founded in 1992, and occurs every year on the 19th of November...) whilst others claimed that if we truly want to be equal we should not celebrate days such as these. And although I respect the view point that if we were in a truly equal society, the importance of International Women's day may be undermined, but the fact of the matter is that we don't live in a world where we have achieved total equality and harmony across the gender spectrum. We still live in a world where women earn less than men, where female genital mutilation  happens and gender stereotypes cause women to suffer abuse and oppression on a daily basis. Of course I wish that all of this were untrue, but by not having things like international women's day, we would be denying that the problem of gender inequality exists. Furthermore, International Women's Day is a positive and intersectional campaign that celebrates the lives of so many unheard women. Should we not be using social media to ensure the connectivity of this message in all corners of the world, instead of taking the attention away from an idea fundamental to the progression of society? We should not cleanse our communities of these important campaigns, for they raise awareness that there is inequality in this world that needs to be changed, as well as celebrating so many unrecognised female accomplishments that are overlooked because of the patriarchal structure that effects each and every nation on this planet.
 

For these reasons, I made a conscious decision to celebrate this Sunday with a wonderful woman friend of mine, by attending an interactive, Virginia Woolf-inspired art installation, at 'The Strong Room', in Shoreditch. The crowd-funded project involved a "Room of One's Own", represented by a see-through cube containing a writing desk and a chair. Participants were asked to add their own messages and illustrations onto the structure, before it would be recycled into a greenhouse to be used by a local charity focused on helping people with mental health issue in recognition of the suffering Woolf experienced throughout her lifetime. Alongside a gin and tonic, it was the most ideal way to take pleasure in a very joyous Sunday.

Mine and Edie's contribution of the original "woah-man" illustration.

Thoughts on // Equality and the 21st Century

On reading the newspaper during this mornings train journey, I was faced with a most shocking cover story; 3 women, of varying age and ethnicity had been kept as domestic slaves in a house in South London for over 30 years, possibly having suffered mental and physical abuse. This story made me both sad and frustrated - how can we as a country claim to be "developed" if such extreme cases of abuse and inequality still exist within our society? And with the upcoming release of the new Mandela film I thought today would be a suitable excuse for me to write a post on equality.

Larmer Tree Festival [2012]

Being able to experience travel from a young age has helped to teach me what I believe to be one of the most valuable social skills; acceptance. But it's not just an acceptance of place and culture, it's also an appreciation - accepting traditional culture is important but being able to appreciate and adapt it to the 21st century  is even more relevant as our world continues to globalise. We are no longer separate nations and races but one global community connected through trains, planes and cyber space. I'm not saying forget patriotism and individuality - there is nothing wrong with taking pride in oneself and your country, but what I am saying is that surely the world would benefit from a little more tolerance and understanding? It's not just where you come from; we should not be afraid of defining ourselves with age, gender, sexual orientation, faith or ethnicity - things we should be proud of - but we should not let these factors stand between us and the next person. Whether you believe the knowledge and power of the human race was given to us by God, Brahma, Allah or Charles Darwin and his monkeys, we are all in it together and I think that's something we tend to forget as we get wrapped up in the technology-fuelled, work-saturated isolation of modern society.

Whether you organise a campaign to help rural communities in Zambia, support your college's LGBT society or simply smile at someone in the street, kindness and equality toward each other is a positive thing that we can all play a part in. 

- On a side note I would just like to say that anyone that can, please, please help raise awareness, donate, campaign to help those suffering in the Philippines. My thoughts go out to all those affected by typhoon Haiyan. Support the Oxfam campaign here. -

All thoughts on this post are welcome in the comments below; keep smiling and stand up for what you believe in!