In this unconventional “fashion shoot,” I aim to raise awareness about the tampon tax by portraying feminine hygiene products as luxury goods, as that is what they are deemed in most U.S. states. Tampons and pads are subject to value-added tax, unlike the tax exemption status granted to other products considered medically necessary. The tampon tax affects women, particularly women of color, who are already negatively impacted by the gender wage gap. It is part of a wider phenomenon, the “pink tax,” which specifically targets women by marking the price of “female” products higher than the “male” equivalent of those products.
A reason only 9 states have eliminated the tampon tax is because in most cases, menstruation is thought of as a taboo subject and many women feel as if talking about it will make others feel uncomfortable. On top of that, “institutions of power are male-dominated. [Men] are not thinking about it, or they’re afraid to approach it” (García). My photos purposely aestheticize feminine care products and periods to visually show how failing to talk about the topic distances us from the material reality and lived experience women face every day.
