Period poverty

[Poppyred85]

I had this on woman's hour this morning. Two young women talk about not being able to afford sanpro and a campaigner encourages people who donate to food banks to think about donating tampons/pads etc too. This is going on all over the country and we still have MPs who vote in favour of the tampon tax. FFS.

Link: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08hl5nc

[MercyMyJewels]

I know Empress. I think we need to direct her to these threads.

It's just pervasive now

[MercyMyJewels]

Oh Holy Fuck. I have reached a whole new level of PeakTrans.

Not only are BRITISH schoolgirls missing education because they can't afford sanitary products, but we can't even name the problem. The problem is for 'Children' because :

Shai‏ @shailinivora who is the Director of @nomoretaboo, "working towards a world without #periodpoverty." said on twitter, "it's difficult to stress the gendered nature of periods w/out being transexclusionary. Any suggestions highly welcome!"

And just tweeted
"Just wanted to make a point about inclusive language - I will not be responding to anymore TERF nonsense today."

Fuck the fucking fucking fuck off!

[Fairyflaps]

It gets worse. A bunch of Roller Derby athletes have started a GoFundMe for san pro but can't bring themselves to mention the word girl anywhere.
Instead they come up with this circumlocutious crap:
cisgender, trans and non binary people assigned female at birth

(The person who set it up is totally female. They haven't even got blue hair so they can't possibly be non-binary)

[WobblyLegs5]

38 degrees have a donation campaign going round, and they say girls. Anyone who can post links might want to look for it, I am shit with technology

[venusinscorpio]

She's as fucking stupid as Laurie Penny, Mercy. "Misogyny happens due to biology and women are oppressed by it, how can we mention it without upsetting the menz?" Seriously, what is the point of people like that?

[IGotTheMustardOut]

Sanpro should be free for under 18's and people on low income or benefits.

Having a period isn't a choice

[MercyMyJewels]

She has protected her tweets now.
She is the Director of No More Taboo
www.nomoretaboo.org/ FFS!!!

And she can't say menstruation is a female issue

There are not enough swearwords

[80sMum]

But it's not all that expensive if you buy the supermarket own brand stuff. Can people truly not afford about £1 a month? If they really can't afford even the cheapest sanitary pads, then that is indeed a terrible thing. I am inclined to think that sanitary towels perhaps should be available through the prescription system. Anyone qualifying for free prescriptions would then get them free.

[HumphreyCobblers]

That has seriously pissed me off too Mercy

'no more taboo' my arse

[MercyMyJewels]

And she was going on about needing to have 'inclusive language'. Tell that to the poor girls forced to sit in a hut when they menstruate. Tell me how they are not oppressed directly due to their SEX.

Fuckers

[picklemepopcorn]

80sMum a 40p packet of paracetamol costs the NHS £10 by the time it's been prescribed on a free prescription. Let's not add sanpro to that daft system.

[DJBaggySmalls]

I just tweeted 'when you are more embarassed to say 'girls' than 'menstruate'...
I never thought I'd live to see the fucking day.

[EmpressOfTheSpartacusOceans]

Retweeted, Baggy.

[Usui101]

There is a go fund me campaign however I have written to the organiser to state that the only way I will donate is if they are not exclusionary to GIRLS! Note the language used: www.gofundme.com/education-before-menstruation

[QuentinSummers]

Here have a read of the latest everyday feminism thoughts
everydayfeminism.com/2017/03/things-stop-telling-about-periods/

Have to laugh or I would cry

[Usui101]

Mercy - I am also challenging that same "Professor" - see you on twitter! I am walking the Middle Ground

[GirlOverboard]

Sanitary towels are 14p for 10 in Wilko. Tampons are £1 for 32 in Asda. I think any parent who can't budget 50p a month to buy sanitary protection for their daughter is being neglectful. And why so much fuss over tampon tax when it would only take 5p off a box of 32 i.e. a saving of 0.15p per tampon.

[QuentinSummers]

Nice girl. Why not listen to some of the girls? They are embarrassed if menstruation and concerned for their poverty stricken parents. It's really sad.
And fuck off with the "tampon tax" fuss. San pro is not a luxury and shouldn't attract VAT, it says a lot about our society that a product that enables women to participate fully is deemed a luxury and taxed. The actual ££ are neither here nor there

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

And fuck off with the "tampon tax" fuss. San pro is not a luxury and shouldn't attract VAT, it says a lot about our society that a product that enables women to participate fully is deemed a luxury and taxed. The actual ££ are neither here nor there

The VAT on sanitary protection is not a luxury tax. VAT is due on most goods and services. The reason it is there is genuinely something the EU can be blamed for.

[DJBaggySmalls]

VAT is a consumption tax, and was introduced as a tax on luxuries to curb inflation.
When Dennis Healey was challenged about it he famously said 'well my wife uses soap and water'.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

Yes , but the effect of EU legislation is that it is currently as low as it can go until there was approval of expansion of the zero rated categories.

[MercyMyJewels]

I think the point of this thread is being missed...

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

I'm well aware of what the thread is about but tirades about "luxury taxes" are irrelevant.

[annhar79]

Hi All,

Today, I heard about a 13yr old girl who ended up in hospital because she used socks for her period - she couldn't afford sanitary products. This is not acceptable in the UK, but it's happening and it's happening in 2017.

Please can you sign this petition to eradicate period poverty from schools. Sanitary provision is NOT a luxury, and periods are not a choice.

It's just totally, totally wrong!!!

This petition to provide free sanitary products to girls from low income families was started by a 17yr old girl.

//www.change.org/p/theresa-may-mp-free-sanitary-products-for-girls-on-free-school-meals-freeperiods

We should support her will to help other schoolgirls! It only takes 15 seconds to sign, I know because I just did it. Please share so we can change this appalling situation.