Birmingham University’s Student Union Taking on the Tampon-Tax

Daisy Lindlar, a Birmingham University student union officer, has taken action following the recent debate in the Houses of Parliament on the ‘tampon tax’.  Following the debate MPs voted to leave female sanitary products in the luxury category for VAT, unlike crocodile meat and edible cake decorations, which are just two of the items deemed necessary to day to day living, and so are exempt from the tax.

Daisy started a Facebook campaign to describe how periods add to living costs for women, and secured free sanitary products for her fellow students at Birmingham University.  In a blog post for The Huffington Post, she wrote: "I'm fortunate in that although the tampon tax angers me, I would never be actually priced out of a period. But there are many people who aren't so lucky. These people have to resort to unhealthy measures to manage their periods, creating unhygienic, home-made alternatives to traditional sanitary products.

"We should be talking about our bodies, and the associated cost of them, so that we can move towards a society where we do not have to pay an extra charge.

"If we can access contraception for free, why shouldn't the same apply to sanitary products?"

Birmingham university students can get their free supplies from the Student Union Office.