08-12-2022 15:00
Menstrual Poverty - workshop

European Parliament, room ANTALL 4Q1
Calendar
Menstrual poverty © Image used under the licence of Adobe Stock

On Thursday, 08 December 2022, the FEMM Committee will hold a workshop on “Menstrual poverty” organised by the Policy Department on Citizen’s Rights and Constitutional Affairs.

Period poverty is a lack of access to menstrual products, education, hygiene facilities, waste management, or a combination of these. It affects an estimated 500 million people worldwide. People who experience period poverty are unable to purchase the menstrual products they need, and, in many cases, this means that they cannot go to school or work or otherwise participate in daily life. Period poverty causes physical, mental, and emotional challenges. It can make people feel shamed for menstruating, and the stigma surrounding periods prevents individuals from talking about it.

This Workshop will address these issues first from a fiscal perspective - the application of VAT on products used by women during menstrual cycles an we'll follow up with a more targeted case study of Spain.

We will hear from Klara KINNL and Ulrich WOHAK from Vienna University of Economics and Business and Laura MEDINA PERUCHA from Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primaria (IDIAPJGolà, Barcelona.