Pink ladies
Pink Ladies are a group of female activist students formed in 2018 as part of the politically engaged practice module This supported me in developing my skills as an activist and made me more aware of the world we live in. Our aim as a group was to emphasise the importance of cutting the tampon tax and open a conversation about free alternatives for those who can’t afford it and the issue of sanitary products being deemed a ‘luxury.’We decided to call ourselves the ‘Pink Ladies’ due to the umbrella term,’The Pink Tax’. The Pink tax refers to the price difference on goods marketed with females in mind. As an example, women’s personal care products, for example razors, hair products, and more importantly tampons. These products currently cost 13% more than men’s personal care products. Our main aim is to have open discussions with students/members of the public about their views on the tampon tax as we believe that it is an important subject for everyone to be aware of.
In March 2018, we hosted a’Make-a-tampon’ event which allowed to open conversations with people on the York St John campus. As a group, we had a bit of fun and a laugh with people having a go at making their own tampon with string and cotton bud pads. This session also included a sheet of paper where people could write their thoughts and feelings regarding the tax and other opinions on how periods are treated and how it is still a taboo subject. Our event allowed us to challenge the menstrual taboo, by speaking to other women about their experiences menstruating and the cost of sanitary products.
Beyond the vote
In June 2018, we were commissioned by Anne-Marie Evans (Senior Lecturer in English Literature at YSJ) to run a workshop style event as part of a period poverty workshop in Beyond the Vote – a festival celebrating the centenary of women gaining the vote in 1918.This was a great opportunity to re-vist a successful project and to work with different people.
This Beyond workshop allowed us to continue our conversations around periods with a wider circle of people and make every woman should feel comfortable talking about it, and every woman should be entitled to the products they need for it. We had an older lady present at the workshop who seemed thankful that conversations were finally happening around periods and the prices of sanitary products. We also have a male student attend, initially wary about taking part because of the stereotype of women blaming men for their struggles; by the end of the workshop he said he realised we weren’t looking to blame but instead just wanted things to change.
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