Menstruation product taxes should be eliminated, according to activists

Indianapolis, Indiana – Legislators are being urged by women from all throughout Indiana to eliminate the state’s tax on menstruation supplies.

During a demonstration on Wednesday at the statehouse, several people raised their voices.

The goal of the event organizers is to get rid of the tampon tax so that more women can afford feminine hygiene products.

“It’s quite unfortunate that we continue to tax our period products, even though this is a natural thing for women, so I am here to support the movement,” said Mary Kiura, a Fort Wayne resident.

Indiana is one of 21 states that imposes a sales tax on period goods, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies.

Though it has little traction at the statehouse, MADVoters, a social welfare charity that aims to promote equitable efforts in Indiana through outreach, education, and advocacy, hopes to alter that.

“We’re confident that if it would just be given a chance in the hearing, it would have bipartisan support, because who doesn’t want to support women and children, because by extension, periods affect women, children, and families,” said Kaitie Rector, a co-founder of MADVoters.

MADVoters estimated that the sales tax that Indiana women pay for those needs comes to $5.6 million a year.

“Our mission is equity, fairness in Indiana, and when you’ve got half of Hoosiers having to pay taxes on necessary products, but then you can go and buy a Twix bar, that’s not fair,” said Rector.

Kiura remarked that women of color are more affected by the price tags.

Kiura said it’s an expensive fee that prevents them from engaging in other necessary tasks.

“The period product tax continues to eat to their income, which leaves them with less net income to spend on other basic factors they need to be spending on,” said Kiura.

Period products aren’t luxury goods for women, according to Democratic state senator Shelli Yoder, and there is no justification for the levy to remain in place.

“For the state of Indiana, it’s not a lot of money, and the number of conversations that we have had in this statehouse over the last couple of years over a rainy day fund that is plentiful, and that fact that we continue to tax the ability for people to engage society is outrageous,” said Yoder.