What is period poverty?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n
Period poverty is not only about being unable to afford menstrual products.<\/p>\n\n
It also includes lack of access to clean water, safe bathrooms, privacy, menstrual education, and reliable information to manage menstruation without stigma or shame.<\/p>\n\n
According to international organizations, nearly <\/span>500 million people worldwide<\/b> experience some form of period poverty. In Latin America, studies estimate that up to <\/span>30% of girls and adolescents have missed school during their periods<\/b> due to lack of menstrual products, safe water, or adequate facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n\n This disproportionately affects people living in poverty, migration contexts, homelessness, incarceration, and Indigenous communities.<\/p>\n\n Because menstruation is not optional.<\/p>\n\n When essential menstrual products carry high taxes, the economic burden falls directly on those who need them every month.<\/p>\n\n Across much of Latin America and the Caribbean, menstrual products are still taxed between <\/span>10% and more than 20%<\/b>. In South America, the average tax burden exceeds 15%, while in several Caribbean countries it reaches up to 18%.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Some countries have already started moving forward.<\/p>\n\n In\u00a0Colombia<\/b>, taxes on menstrual products were eliminated in\u00a02018<\/b>\u00a0following a landmark Constitutional Court ruling, which determined that taxing essential menstrual products deepened inequality and disproportionately affected women and people who menstruate. In\u00a0Mexico<\/b>, a\u00a0zero VAT rate on menstrual hygiene products<\/b>\u00a0has been in place since\u00a02022<\/b>, after lawmakers recognized that pads, tampons, and other menstrual products are not luxury goods but essential items for\u00a0health, dignity, and equality<\/b>. The reform represented an estimated\u00a0880 million Mexican pesos in annual tax revenue foregone<\/b>\u00a0to reduce the economic burden associated with menstruation and address\u00a0period poverty<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n In the Caribbean,\u00a0Jamaica<\/b>\u00a0became one of the first countries in the Americas to remove the\u00a0General Consumption Tax (GCT)<\/b>\u00a0on menstrual hygiene products in\u00a02012<\/b>, setting an important regional precedent for\u00a0menstrual health access<\/b>. However, advocacy efforts continue, as local organizations note that\u00a0import duties and additional costs<\/b>\u00a0may still account for nearly\u00a020% of the final retail price<\/b>\u00a0of some menstrual products, maintaining affordability barriers\u2014especially for low-income women and girls. Advocacy groups have warned that the annual cost of menstrual hygiene products remains a significant financial burden for many Jamaican households and continue calling for the removal of remaining fiscal barriers.<\/p>\n\n Brazil<\/b>, meanwhile, has followed a more gradual path toward reducing economic barriers related to menstruation. Although menstrual products have not yet been fully tax-exempt nationwide, several states\u2014including\u00a0Rio de Janeiro<\/b>\u2014have reduced taxes on menstrual hygiene products. More recently, Brazil\u2019s\u00a0federal tax reform framework<\/b>\u00a0categorized menstrual health products as essential goods eligible for\u00a0significant tax reductions or possible exemptions<\/b>. These developments reflect growing recognition that\u00a0menstrual health should be treated as a public health and social justice issue<\/b>, rather than a discretionary consumer expense.<\/p>\n\nWhy does eliminating taxes on menstrual products matter?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n
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