A vote on Thursday in German parliament changes the tax rate for menstrual hygiene products like tampons or pads from their current designation as "luxury items" to that of "daily necessities."
As of January 1,2020, this means a tax cut from 19 percent to 7 percent, and a big win for those who advocated for the change.
Around the world, monthly hygiene products for menstrual flow are often taxed at rates higher than that of other daily necessities in a phenomenon often referred to as the "tampon tax." In countries such as Hungary, Denmark, and Sweden, products like tampons have tax rates of 25 percent or more, according to CNN, making them among the highest in the European Union. Meanwhile, other countries around the world, like Kenya, India, and Canada have eliminated their former "tampon tax" rates.
In the U.S., tax rates vary from state to state, with a growing number of states now dropping the tax.
The move in German parliament follows the success of an online petition from equal rights campaigners, led by Nanna-Josephine Roloff and Yasemin Kotra, that received almost 200,00 signatures, CNN reports.
"It is the women who bear these costs ― and periods are no luxury for women," Roloff said to CNN. "Products like salmon, caviar, truffles, hotel nights or taxi rides are taxed lower than female hygiene products. But how should [people] avoid their period?"
Following parliament's Thursday vote, campaigners like Roloff celebrated their victory on Twitter.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
When marking their change.org petition as a "Victory" on November 7th, Roloff and Kotra thanked their 190,378 online co-signers for their support (which Mashable has translated from German via Google Translate).
SEE ALSO:It's finally bloody happening: Australia scraps tampon tax"Thanks to 190,000 people at our side, we have joined forces ... to write feminist history," they wrote. "Now it's time to celebrate, then gather new strength. Because the fight for equal rights is not over yet."
TopicsActivismSocial GoodPolitics
(责任编辑：焦點)
Whyd voiceThis app lets you donate wish list items to homeless people you pass every dayMilo Yiannopoulos' logo kind of makes him look like a failed DJLittle thief experiences pure terror when almost caught sneaking a drinkFake news reports from the Newseum are infinitely better than actual newsSlack goes down again, prompting anxiety everywhere
Panic briefly took over on Tuesday when everyone's favorite messaging app/millstone went down tempor
...[详细]Inside the shadowy Skype seat selection process
While the early weeks of the Trump administration have been marked by a stormy relationship with the
...[详细]Those Peeps Oreos are apparently turning tongues (and other stuff) hot pink
Some Oreo fans are learning that there can, for sure, be too much of a good thing. 。 According to a f
...[详细]The fascinating story behind the coolest name in basketball
Meet Stockton Malone Shorts. 。The Utah high schooler can seriously play ball -- although he prefers t
...[详细]Man stumbles upon his phone background in real life
Life imitates tech. Or, perhaps it's the other way around.Reddit user xbshooterwas traveling near Sa
...[详细]Trump was caught practicing his speech, so the internet made jokes
It was a big night for Donald Trump: his first major address to a joint session of Congress. His las
...[详细]'For Honor' review: a unique blend of hack
A samurai stands with her katana drawn, cautiously stepping backwards as an axe-wielding viking barr
...[详细]Google wants to give you back your face when you're in VR
The blank, robotic VR masks seen in mixed reality videos could soon receive a facial fix that's pret
...[详细]Pokémon Go is so big that it has its own VR porn parody now
Behind every great entertainment property there's a cheekily named porn parody. Super Hornio Bros. G
...[详细]Apple will ditch iPhone's Lightning connector for USB
A new report in the
。 Wall Street Journal 。signals that Apple could be making a huge change for its up
...[详细]Over 82,000 evacuate as Blue Cut fire rapidly spreads in southern California
Warren Buffett: 'If a lady says no, she means maybe'