​Each year, Arizonian menstruators are taxed over $8 MILLION just on tampons and pads because they are not considered necessities. According to Arizona law, menstrual products are deemed non-essential goods and when taking local and state taxes into account, menstrual products are taxed between 7.6-11.2%, thereby implying that menstrual hygiene is unnecessary -- a luxury. However, other products like Viagra, penile pumps and men’s suspensories are not taxed. This exemption needs to be extended to menstrual products because MENSTRUAL HYGIENE IS NOT A PRIVILEGE; IT IS A RIGHT!

For the average consumer, this tax can become burdensome, as menstruators are already expected to pay $11,000 during their lifetime on tampons alone, not including other menstrual care expenses. Also, standing higher than the National Poverty Rate, 14% of Arizonians are estimated to be in poverty. The luxury tax placed on menstrual products coupled with these statistics reiterate how pressing the issue of period poverty is in the state of Arizona.

And when we say it is a right, we mean it. The U.N Human Rights Watch views access to clean, safe, and affordable menstrual products as a human right; a simple biological factor shouldn’t be a barrier to equality.

These products are critical to the health of menstruators: when menstruators do not have access to menstrual products, they often resort to unsanitary alternatives like notebook paper, toilet paper, shoe insoles, and even dirty rags. This results in conditions ranging from mild infections to cervical cancer or toxic shock syndrome, which frequently leads to death. The lack of access to menstrual products also results in the inability to attend school, the incapacity to perform at work, and the inability to show up fully while bleeding.

In Arizona, over half of the population menstruates, and the Tampon Tax only adds unwarranted pressure for these individuals.

Our hope is to eliminate this tax one state at a time, which would be a huge step in achieving gender equality and opening up the conversation on menstrual hygiene. As fellow citizens, menstruators and non-menstruators alike, it is our civic duty to note injustice and act upon it. We cannot allow people to pay a luxury tax for a natural bodily function.

We are calling on the Governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, to repeal the Tampon Tax, and we need your help to do so. Our goal is 100,000 signatures in 30 days, join us!

Sign this petition, share it with your friends, and help Arizona join the Menstrual Movement along with New York, Washington D.C., Minnesota, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Connecticut, and Florida in creating change for millions of menstruators and demanding systemic change towards gender equality.

References:

All credit to the students and activists leading this movement and pushing for legislative action. Special credit to the #FreeThePeriodCA organization for creating the template for this petition.

https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/tampon-tax-cut-arizona-house-panel-oks-sales-tax-cut-for-diapers-tampons/75-511302086

https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/economy/2018/09/09/arizona-sales-tax-steady-valley-cities-rates-unchanged-tax-foundation-study/1216459002/