Two girls are so fed up of the tampon tax that they attended an anti-Tampon Tax protest outside Downing Street while free-bleeding.
Charlie Edge, 22, went along to the Prime Minister’s residence and free-bled for three hours – in white trousers!
Before heading there, she posted a status on Facebook: ‘Everyone keeps saying “haha omg how quickly would we get free tampons if everyone stopped wearing them?!” So, I’m giving it a go.’
CONTENT WARNING: BLOOD.Today i am forgoing tampons and pads outside the houses of parliament to show how 'luxury'...
Posted by [Charlie Edge](#) on
She turned up along with a friend – who was also free-bleeding (how’s that for synchronicity?) – and held a sign saying ‘No uterus? No opinion?’ That’s a Rachel Green quote, FYI. And her friend held a sign saying: ‘Does your tax make me feel awkward?’
A third free-bleeding friend held a sign saying: ‘PERIODS are not a luxury’ and another protestor, who wasn’t bleeding, held a sign saying ‘I will bleed on your capitalism’.
Charlie told Buzzfeed: ‘If people are grossed out by me not wearing a tampon then I think that emphasises my point. They’re not “luxury” items’
The fight against the tampon tax has been taken to Parliament, where MP Stella Creasy explained it’s only in existence: ‘by design of an unequal society, in which the concerns of women are not treated as equally as the concerns of men.’
However, the Finance Bill amendment, which would have forced a negotiation with the EU for a reduction in the 5% VAT rate, was rejected by MPs with votes of 305 to 287. Two of the people who voted against getting rid of the tampon tax were Nicky Morgan and Caroline Dinenage, both part of the ministry for women and equalities. Yep, really.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.